We've heard of community policing - but today northside police took it to another level when they sort of adopted a group of deserving kids. It's part of a larger mentoring program and today 10 police officers kicked it off with lunch and back to school shopping. We spoke to officer commanding northside, ASCP Dezeree Phillips:...
ASP Desiree Phillips, OC - Eastern North Division
"What we have done here, we have identified 12 young persons who we believe are underprivileged, who are desirous of some assistance to get them prepared for back to school and so we would called it "Back to school shop with a Cop"."
Courtney Weatherburne
"How are these kids selected?"
ASP Desiree Phillips, OC - Eastern North Division
"They were selected in collaboration with the school's principals, teachers, counselor in support with our community policing officers who visit them every day. This is something that we have been planning from early May and so even before school closed, we already did a survey and we had our names."
"We are shopping for basic school supplies; footwear, school bags that the kids are in need of. Of course how this came about or how we did this having gotten all the names and we identified suitable police officers to take up such a responsibility. We then raffle the names among ourselves and so the minute we got our names of the student, we then reached out to the parent, the child, sat with them and found out what are their basic school needs to have them returned to school. So that gave us an idea of what each child needs."
"We are very excited about the shopping, but we are also happy because we're looking at mentoring and fostering children because we want to mould better citizens."
Reporter
"Okay so you are talking about mentoring. After the shopping is done, it continues? That officer continues monitoring and mentoring that child?"
ASP Desiree Phillips, OC - Eastern North Division
"Definitely. Not only mentoring and fostering, but developing and sustaining a bond not only with this child, but with the family, the siblings, it has to do also with going to the schools and checking up on the child - even attend their parent/teacher meetings, take them out on trips. For some of us who also have children, we are also trying to create a bond with our children and this child and this family. So it's like, it will end up being like extended families."
Courtney Weatherburne
"Are you excited about this? You are going shopping for your school supplies after this."
Orlando Cho Jr., 8 years old
"Yes and then I am going to be a police kid to catch bad guys."
Courtney Weatherburne
"What things are you looking forward to get? Your school bags, what other stuff?"
Orlando Cho Jr., 8 years old
"I want it so I can go shopping for stuff."
Aaliyah Tzul, 14 years old
"Before this I didn't really know, because other people like the gangs where I grew up, they would say that police are bad people. So then when I came to this then I noticed that they are not really bad persons...my spirit takes her, I really like her, so I decided to come and do it."
The shopping continued until almost 3:00. The 10 police officers will continue to follow up on the children throughout the year. All the participating officers are Corporals and above.
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