Seeing uniforms and law enforcement officials can be intimidating for children and members in the community, and this intimidation can lead to mistrust and unsafe environments. The Cops and Kids foundation is determined to change this intimidation within communities across Wisconsin. GreenStone Tax and Accounting Assistant Megan Peeters has joined the organization to help with their mission in her community of Clintonville, WI.
Megan has close ties to the organization through her uncle Bob Kraemer. Bob was a police officer in Milwaukee, WI and after retirement he decided to begin the Cops and Kids nonprofit organization to help build positive relationships between law enforcement and the community.
Megan and her uncle Bob who started the nonprofit.
“When my uncle first started the organization, he explained that the best way to start building a positive relationship is through the kids in the community,” explained Megan.
One of their annual events is called Cops and Bobbers and this year law enforcement and DNR officials gathered at a local lake in Clintonville for a day of fishing and food with the children in the community. Each child was paired with an officer for fishing. While the children were out on the boat fishing, Megan and her uncle Bob were in charge of lunch for everyone. Megan spent the whole day volunteering, passing out shirts, stickers, hats, and overseeing the food.
Children engaging in positive relationships with law enforcement.
Volunteering at the event also gave Megan the chance to connect with the officers in the community she grew up in. “I never really knew any of the Clintonville cops, but I got into a few conversations with them and was really happy to hear their plans for getting involved with the community and all the different ideas they have for bettering Clintonville,” Megan said ecstatically.
The event was a complete success. “All the kids were very excited to go fishing, some of them had never even been on a boat before, so it was a really cool experience for them,” There was one moment that really stood out to Megan- “There was a few kids who stayed back on the docks because they were scared of the boat, so a few officers stayed back with them, and they ended up catching five or six fish. It was fun to see how excited they were,” said Megan.
From the beginning of the event to the end, there was a noticeable change in the atmosphere between the children and officers. “At the beginning, the kids came in noticeably nervous, but by the time they got off the boats for lunch they were extremely talkative and definitely were more comfortable around everyone,” Megan explained.
Through events like these, the community sees a positive change one relationship at a time. The children impacted by these events will grow into adults that create a new generation of positive outlook.
The Cops and Kids Foundation hosts events throughout the year, including archery and bowling events. To learn more about the foundation and their mission, visit their website here.
