By Claire Matthews
Queensland Police’s Adopt-a-Cop initiative is a community outreach program designed to establish relationships between police, schools and the community.
Currently, there are over 950 Adopt-a-Cops performing duties in over 1100 Queensland schools. Among the program’s functions are delivering classroom presentations in partnership with teachers; and attending meetings, such as Parents and Citizens or Parents and Friends meetings.
The initiative may also provide an additional role to promote cultural awareness and celebrate cultural diversity within the school community.
Queensland Police Department affirms that the program’s benefits are directed to the encouragement of law-abiding behaviour and police officers and Police Liaison Officers’ professional development.
However, Adopt-a-Cop is generally appointed to primary and secondary schools and may also be assigned to special schools, early childhood centres, and community groups.
This program is separate from the School-Based Policing Program, which involves full-time police appointment within 56 Queensland secondary schools.
The Logan Central Police Station is part of the Adopt-a-Cop program and regularly visits local schools in the area.
The police interact with the students in a fun way and provide positive messages about road safety, personal safety and more.
They recently visited Logan City Special School with two officers from the Mounted Police Unit. Students enjoyed taking turns sitting in a police all-terrain vehicle and patting the horses.