Credit: Bristol Borough Police Department
Police officers and art instructors are coming together in Bristol Borough to capitalize on a recent trend and bring the community and police force closer together.
The art class at Penelope Fox Art Studio is entitled “Rock with a Cop” and brings police officers and families together to paint rocks and hide them in the borough, joining into the rock hiding craze that has swept through Bristol and Levittown.
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The goal of these classes, according to Jina Dierolf of the Penelope Fox Art Studio, is to improve community and police relationships. This is especially the goal for the children coming to the classes. Previous classes took place in July.
“This is a great way to reach out and create relationships between the police and the kids,” Dierolf said.
Dierolf went on to explain that she wanted to be a part of bringing the community together and saw this as a great opportunity to give back to the community.
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The classes themselves are pretty simple: Kids paint rocks while snacks and light refreshments are provided. Officer Charles Palmer from the Bristol Borough Police Department will come in and talk with kids about what officers do and what the kids should do in different scenarios like seeing guns and being confronted by strangers.
After all of the painting is done and the rocks are dry, the class goes down to the riverfront with Palmer. At the Bristol Wharf, the kids hide rocks and meet with other officers. Children are able to explore police vehicles and meet Kilo, Palmer’s K9 partner.
The Rock with a Cop classes are just one way that the Bristol Borough Police Department has been working on creating positive experiences with kids and the community at large.
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“We continually take advantage of these types of programs to interact with our young people in a positive way,” Bristol Borough police chief Steve Henry said.
The police department appreciates the offer to engage with the community and be a part of the event, Henry said.
The art studio homes to host four Rock with a Cop classes each year during the warmer months, Dierolf said.
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The next Rock with a Cop class is scheduled for Friday, September 3. The following class is scheduled for September 10.
