By Sarah Cook

The Selma Times-Journal

 

Barriers will be broken and smiles will be shared this Saturday when the Selma Police Department hosts Cops n’ Kids, an event meant to bring children and law enforcement together in a positive light.

The event, which will be completely free to the public, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bloch Park.

“We want them to see we’re out there to help them and the only people we arrest are bad people,” said Det. Dorothy Cowan of the Selma Police Department. “We don’t arrest people just because they’re kids getting in to trouble or something like that.”

There will be inflatables, skits, sporting events, a cakewalk and many other activities for children to enjoy, and free school supplies will also be available.

Cowan said the police department tries to host an event like this each year to let the community know police officers are here to serve and protect.

“The favorite thing that (the children) like a lot is the tug-a-war,” Cowan said. “We’ll do the police against the kids and then see who wins.”

Other than police officers, there will also be firefighters, troopers and city staff in attendance, interacting with the community.

“The idea is for police officers, law enforcement officers or people of authority to communicate with the kids on their level because mostly when they see us they don’t think we will get out there and play with them,” Cowan said. “They don’t think we do anything besides arrest them or their parents.”

Cowan said she hopes the event, which is sponsored by the Selma Police Department and the Police Athletic League, will give the community a better understanding of what law enforcement does and encourage children to view officers as friends.

“We just want them to come out and have a good time and realize that we’re there to help them and not to arrest them all the time,” Cowan said. “We just want to change that perspective.”