Robbinsdale Police engage youth in Badges for Baseball
Baseball is known as the great American pastime. Badges for Baseball is using the sport to bring police officers and local youth closer together.
“The Lids program is a foundation that wanted to bring baseball and kids together, as well as police officer,” says Joe Rossow the Executive Vice President for the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. “The idea was that if we have kids go to a major league baseball game in that town along with a clinic that next day it’s a chance for the officer and kids to play and work together with each other.”
Badges for Baseball Creates Positive Memories
The Badges for Baseball tour has been taking place for 16 years. The Cal Ripken Senior Foundation started the program as a way to mentor young kids.
“These kinds of activities here allow the police officer to really let their guards down a little bit,” added Rossow. “It really allows police to get to know the kids and be the mentor and the kids can be the mentee’s and learn that skill.”
Fun and games aren’t typically a part of a police officer’s day, but this event helps kids see officers differently.
“This really helps take away some of the fear of law enforcement that kids may have,” Says Casey Landherr an officer with the Robbinsadale Police Department. “Seeing police officers not just as an officer but as a person and as someone they can have those positive interactions with.”
The program puts officers in a different light, and allows them to create relationships with kids in their community.
“It’s a lot like getting to hang out with my nieces and nephews,” added Ladherr.
These type of interactions foster positive memories for cops and kids.
“There is always a positive feeling coming out of this,” says Matt Stillwell the Ambassador of Badges for Baseball. “If these kids ever find themselves in a situation and they remember this positive interaction, that’s the impact that we want.”
Robbinsdale was the final stop on the Badges for Baseball tour. If you would like to learn more the Badges for Baseball program visit their website.
