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20th District officers join Career Week
Officers in 020 hosted a career week in just one day at the Pedersen-McCormick local Boys and Girls Club on July 27. Officers from the K-9 unit and the bomb and ar- son squad attended the event, with the main goal of ed- ucation about professions for Chicago Police Officers.
“It’s important to show the youth all the different ca- reer fields they can choose from in law enforcement,” explained 20th District sergeant and co-creator of Ca- reer Week, Peter Pol. “Every single kid has different in- terests and different skills, so we try and show them that no matter what their skill set is, if they have a desire to protect the community, we can help find a job for them.”
The children began the day learning from the CPD Bomb and Arson Unit, who answered questions and passed out safety tips and information. Afterward, there was a presentation explaining the roles evidence tech- nicians play in their respective departments.
Finally, at the end of the event, children were greeted by the K-9 unit, which had brought its service dog, Pa- luka, as a special treat. The kids played games of tag and fetch with Paluka.
“Usually, we hold this amazing event for a whole week, like the title says, but this year, we and the kids had to make sacrifices, and we were only able to hold it for one day,” Pol noted about the event being limited due to the pandemic. “But in the end, we received ex- traordinary feedback, and it was definitely a successful event.”
60 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ SEPTEMBER 2021