California Police Chief- Fall 2013 | Page 20

Run with ACOP By: Captain Tom Weeks, Corona PD As police agencies across the country have down sized, many outreach programs dedicated to helping the youth in the community have been cut. The Corona Police Department has set out to literally “run” through that gap with our new program called, “Run with ACOP” (Anti Childhood Obesity Program). Run with ACOP was launched earlier this year as a way to reach out to the youth of our community while building strong partnerships with local organizations. The police department joined forces with the well-established 100 Mile Club®; who is a national organization that provides the opportunity for students to run or walk 100 miles at school during a single school year. This program was designed to improve school readiness for learning, create better educational outcomes and build self-esteem which helps provide overall health in the lives of children. 20 California Police Chief | www.californiapolicechiefs.org