20,000 books! Yesterday we delivered our 20,000th Books & Badges book. It went to our friends at the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, and what a fun meeting it was! Columbus Division of Police Officer James Poole, who has read to thousands of children through Books & Badges, more than any other officer, was on hand for the occasion.
This milestone is even more remarkable when you consider that our first reading was on December 19, 2019, just months before schools closed down for the pandemic. But officers wanted to connect with kids, so they've done readings at community centers, in parks, at daycare centers, summer camps--anywhere kids are, they'll be there.
Every child receives a copy of the book the officer reads, and the kids get to ask questions about law enforcement. Our most popular question remains, "Is it true that you like donuts?"
We hear from parents and relatives that their children come home talking about what a great day they had and how much fun it was for the cops to come and read to them. We hear from teachers that their classes have never been so attentive.
We love seeing the smiles on everyone's faces and watching the officers get hugs from the kids. Thank you to our agencies for doing this with us. We love you!
If you're a law enforcement agency and would like information about how to partner with us, send us an email.
Below are the first four officers who ever participated in a Books & Badges reading, all with the Columbus Division of Police, clockwise from top left: Officer David Jones, Officer Tony Rogers, Officer Eric Jones, and Sergeant Christopher Smith-Hughes. Thank you all!
Comments