Campus police bring good humor, safety message to children
UCCS police officers pose for a group picture with FDC students and staff. (Photos by Clay Garner, UCCS Police Department)
UCCS Police Sergeant Grant Lockwood opens the back door to a group of FDC students.
UCCS police officers visited the youngest members of the campus community July 31 as part of a campus relations and safety event.
Six UCCS police officers, including Brian McPike, interim chief, visited with youngsters at the Family Development Center on a sunny Wednesday morning. The visit, dubbed Cops and Kids, was the first of what will be an annual collaboration between the two departments. The department also hosts the popular annual Bike Rodeo at the FDC.
UCCS police officers demonstrate lights and sirens in a police car.
The department’s Cops and Coffee event is a popular outreach conducted annually by the department with UCCS faculty and staff. The Cops and Kids event allowed the police officers to interact with the children in a positive, safe environment, according to McPike.
“This is the best part about our jobs,” McPike said. “We get to personally interact with the kids, while having fun with them at the same time. Of course, the Popsicles we brought ensured we made many friends.”
The officers let the preschoolers climb throughout the police cruisers, as well sit on motorcycles, earning smiles from the officers and praise from FDC leaders.
“A great time was had by everyone who participated and best of all our children learned that police officers are our friends,” wrote Ida Bauer, director of the Family Development Center.