Foster Elementary Students Pal with Police

A handful of 5^th and 6^th grade students at Foster elementary at 5300 Saulsbury Ct had the unique opportunity to work with members of the Arvada Police Department for a hands-on look at the world of policing through the Police Pals program this fall. 

Police Pals is one of the after school classes made available to students through Project Prepare, the 21^st Century Community Learning Center, funded through a grant administered by the Colorado Department of Education.

Arvada Police Officers Don Bass and Jim Becker, Sergeant Jo Ann Rzeppa and alumni from the Citizens Police Academy met once a week for six weeks with the students to help develop trust and respect while providing a realistic view of police work. 

Knowledge of laws and rules, positive life skills and personal safety habits were discussed in the class.

As part of the course curriculum Arvada Police officers engaged the students through hands-on learning experiences which included fingerprinting, using a laser to determine the speed of a vehicle and discovering strategies on how to be a good witness. 

“Police Pals is a wonderful opportunity for our officers to work with students while showing them the various aspects about policing,” said Sergeant Rzeppa who oversees the Arvada Police Department’s School Services Unit. “This was a great group of students who were extremely engaged in the activities and asked many thoughtful questions.” 

The Arvada Police Department will host another Police Pals class at Foster in the spring.