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over receiving a new backpack, there seemed to be a pa- trol officer who reveled in the moment just as much.
“I’ll never forget those kids’ reactions to Mickey and Minnie,” exclaimed 7th District CAPS Officer Roderique McClain. “It made me feel so good.”
McClain described the event as being “unforgettable” after months of planning coordinated with support from a variety of sponsors and O’Toole Principal King Hall, who McClain said thanked everyone for making the opening day of classes a memorable experience.
“It meant something for him to show his apprecia- tion,” McClain added.
McClain also praised the vision of 7th District Com- mander Kenneth Johnson for supporting the various CAPS efforts to connect with residents. The O’Toole cel- ebration was actually the second big event in 007 to help families gear up for the new school year. Weeks earlier, a parade, festival and cookout also served as an opportu- nity to pass out hundreds of book bags to kids who had the chance to meet neighborhood police officers and ex- perience a positive interaction.
“That all goes to building that connection with the community,” McClain said, adding that these get-to- gethers show “we’re just regular people who are police.”
In other districts, officers joined the movement to get local children ready for a big year in the classroom.
During its back-to-school event, the 15th District gave away more than 800 book bags to students on Aug. 28 as part of the Austin Unites celebration.
Officer Tonya Collins said the occasion gave officers a chance to get “ahead of the situation” and children the opportunity to see “a familiar face with an officer.”
The well-attended effort included a number of ven- dors and resources for families. Boys were offered free haircuts, while girls had the opportunity to get their hair braided. The CPD mounted patrol also made an appear-
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ance, and kids had a chance to check out some police vehicles up close.
“Too many times these days, the kids are seeing police as the bad guys, as the guys they run from as opposed to,” said 16th District CAPS Officer Melissa Lehrman.
That was the sentiment behind the district’s recent back-to-school event during which officers gave away about 175 bags of donated school supplies to students. More importantly, it was an opportunity to show typical police officer as they are, a “figure of authority, but as a