Falls Township Police Officers Up For Adoption

FALLS TOWNSHIP, PA —Want to adopt a cop?

Students in the Pennsbury School District have that chance and their choices will be revealed on Monday.

Voting took place from Sept. 27 through Oct. 4 for students to choose among 16 police officers up for adoption, said Christopher Clark, the police department's operations lieutenant.

The adoptees will be announced on Monday.

"We are thrilled to announce the implementation of our latest community initiative, which is designed to strengthen the relationship between our police, the school district, and our community's youth," Clark said.

The Adopt A Cop program has 16 police officers —eight from each rotating daywork squad —up for adoption by each school in the Pennsbury School District. The depicted posters and ballots were provided to all schools.

Each student in the elementary schools received a paper ballot allowing them to vote for their chosen police officer.

The high school students and Village Park Academy students will be able to vote via a QR Code set up for electronic balloting, Clark said.

The announcement will be celebrated by an adoption ceremony where the officer receives a certificate from the school's principal formally adopting them.

Once adopted, the adopted officer will introduce himself/herself to support staff, teachers, and students, after which they'll obtain information regarding lunch periods, recess, etc... to plan to visit the school so as not to interrupt the learning environment, Clark said.

Adopted officers will also conduct school walkthroughs, greet the students as they arrive and depart for the day, monitor school zones, and make themselves available to any teacher who requests speaking to a student or a class on a law enforcement-related topic, as well as any student who has a need, question or concern.

"Our officers and the Pennsbury School District are very excited about the mutual sense of ownership and personalized commitment this adoptive relationship will bring," Clark said.

(Photo Courtesy of the Falls Township Police Department)