Children and their families are invited to to fish while interacting with their community police officers at weekly Fishing with a Cop events
Washington Township police officers are encouraging children and their families to look away from the electronic screens and get hooked on fishing.
The first Fishing with a Cop event on June 8 at the lake behind the Washington Township Police Department hosted more than 60 kids and their relatives. The following week, officers hosted a pop-up barbecue, offering grilled food for those in attendance.
“Summer is the best time of year to reach our residents,” Chief of Police Patrick Gurcsik said. “I challenged our officers to think outside the box and be creative about ways to be better community caretakers.”
According to Officer Eric Caveng, the event held every Thursday in June from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. gives the community, specifically children, an opportunity to spend time with all of the department’s officers while learning a new skill.
“A lot of the kids that we have in our town are always looking for something to do,” Caveng said. “It seems to me they spend a lot of their time on their iPhones or their electronic gadgets, not so much doing outdoor activities. This is their way to bridge that, to get outdoors more and enjoy something different.”
Officers on site are available to teach kids and their families about tying hooks on the line, putting bait on the hooks, setting bobbers and various other fishing fundamentals.
Caveng said the event provides children the chance to learn about who the police officers are, and allows officers to learn who the children are at the same time.
“For me personally, the children in the community need positive role models, they need positive interaction with the police department,” Caveng said. “We don’t want our children, or anyone for that matter, to be stand-offish. We want them to understand we are here as their friends, we are here to mentor them and we are here to serve them — protect and serve is the core value of what we do.”
For many of the children who attend, it is their first time fishing. With numerous sunfish and bass being caught, Caveng said the best part is watching the kids smile as they reel in their line.
“If you’ve never seen a child smile so big, wait until they hook a fish,” Caveng said. “It’s really amazing.”
Through the department’s commitment to community outreach, many other events are held throughout the year to interact with officers, such as Coffee with a Cop at local coffee shops, or Cool Off with a Cop at Rita’s Italian Ice. Caveng said what makes the fishing event so unique is how it not only focuses on the children, but the entire family as well.
“This is something that is for all ages,” Caveng said. “Fishing is an activity for people of all ages to learn about respecting the environment and cleaning up around the lake. You get a wide variety of people that have that interest, and it’s something they enjoy doing.”
During the past few months, the Washington Township Police Department received numerous donations from local and corporate companies, providing bait, equipment and fishing poles in preparation for the community event.
Caveng said although participants are encouraged to bring their own fishing rod, officers on site will have hooks, bobbers and bait that is needed. There will also be close to 20 fishing rods available for those who may need them. Participating adults are asked to have their fishing licenses on hand, while it is not required for children 17 and younger.
For more information on Fishing with a Cop, visit the department’s website, www.washingtontwppolice.org.
