Elementary School Students to Pleasanton Cops: 'Thank You for Keeping Us Safe'

They were presented in a giant gift-wrapped box. Students in Pleasanton sent hundreds of heartfelt thank you notes to officers and staff members at the Pleasanton Police Department following a recent Red Ribbon week at Lydiksen Elementary.

Red Ribbon week is part of an alcohol, tobacco, and drug awareness program presented by the police officers to students in Pleasanton each year.

The officer visits during the week are organized by DARE officers Ken McNeill and Dave Batoy.

“The Pleasanton Police Department is proud of having the second longest running DARE program in the state of California,” Sergeant Pat Walsh told Patch. “We are convinced that our commitment to this program has built a stronger and safer community, and the program has proven invaluable to students, parents and school staff as well as the officers who have had the privilege of working in our schools.”

Walsh says Red Ribbon Week began in the late 1980’s as a tribute to slain DEA Officer Kiki Camerena and has evolved into a weeklong recognition of drug and substance abuse prevention efforts.

“Thank you for keeping Pleasanton safe. Your work is difficult and dangerous. Thank you for responding to everyone’s emergencies and helping those in need. Thank you for catching the criminals.”

Pleasanton Police recently shared a touching video featuring the notes on the police department’s YouTube channel.

“For Red Ribbon Week, Lydiksen was united in commitment to good decisions and in gratefulness for the service of police officers,” Lydiksen Vice Principal Janet Gates told Patch. “The week started with all students and staff wearing red. They assembled in a giant chalk outline of a red ribbon and were photographed holding a sign saying ’Respect yourself. Be Drug Free,’ which is this year’s Red Ribbon Week campaign message. This photo was entered in the nationwide Red Ribbon Week photo contest in the hopes of winning $1000 for Lydiksen.” Click here to see photo.

According to Gates, the students were encouraged to write notes to the officers throughout the week.

“They wrote notes during recesses, some teachers had their classes write notes as a class activity, and many students and families brought notes and cards from home,” Gates said. “These were all deposited into a huge wrapped thank you box, and students presented these to our police officers during their school visit on the last day of Red Ribbon Week.”

Officer Ken McNeill says something amazing happened when he brought the letters into the police department.

“When I brought the box into the station and looked inside and saw all the letters it was heartwarming,” McNeill said. “I started reading the letters out loud one by one and pretty soon there were a dozen officers all standing around reading the letters. Shannon Revel-Whitaker, our Crime Prevention CSO, saw what was happening and had to foresight to grab a camera and start shooting. She put the video together and did a fantastic job with it. She wanted to make sure the kids were recognized for their efforts.”

“We’ve gotten thank you cards from school kids before, and they are always appreciated and shared with all the officers, but I don’t recall us getting such a volume of cards before at one time,” McNeill said. “It was really great.”

Watch McNeill as he reads through the candid letters from the school children.

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Video embed, photo screenshot courtesy Pleasanton Police via YouTube.