California Police Chief- Fall 2013 CPCA_2018_Winter Magazine-FINAL | Page 37

have of the police; I believe the answer is offering programs
like this. It’s important to give students an opportunity to
interact with police officers in a fun and positive environ-
ment like recess. That is how we earn their trust.”
Pittsburg Police Officer Raquel Curran is a School
Resource Officer and an avid participant in the Recess with
a Cop program. As a mother, Officer Curran knows the
importance of making children feel safe. She is an excellent
role model for the students and they often tell her that they
want to be like her when they grow up, which makes Offi-
cer Curran feel very proud. Officer Curran has also noticed
that the Recess with a Cop program has created a lasting
impression with many of the students, who now greet her
with hugs and pictures they’ve drawn for her. As Officer
Curran put it, “Events like Recess with a Cop give me great
pleasure because the kids make me feel special.” It’s a win-
win for the students and the officers.
As a regular participant in Recess with a Cop, Pittsburg
Police Officer Javon Sanders is equally passionate about
the program. “The importance of representation across
different professions during early adolescence is essential
to child development,’ said Officer Sanders. He continued,
“These positive encounters with Law Enforcement help
foster permanent impressions that last well into adulthood.
Programs like Recess with a Cop shows the students we
are human too; we laugh, we play, and we have empathy.
It humanizes the individual wearing the badge and builds
trust with the youth.”
We couldn’t agree more with Officer Sanders, which
is why the Pittsburg Police Department is committed to
the Recess with a Cop program. It is all about building a
positive relationship between the police and students in
fifteen quick minutes all while having fun. Now when
Chief Addington pulls up in front of a Pittsburg elementa-
ry school, whether alone or alongside a few beat cops, the
kids no longer wonder, “Are they here to take me away?”
Instead that’s been replaced with, “What games can we
play today?”
And really, who doesn’t want to act like a kid sometimes?  ■
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