What an amazing day we had on Friday at Learning Never Ends, spending time with adults with developmental disabilities. Starfish Board Member and Columbus Division of Police Lieutenant Chris Lieb and Officer James Poole had a great time reading "A Team Stays Together." Everyone was thrilled to hear they got to keep their copies of the books. The officers also shared tips, like the importance of locking doors even when at home and how to interact with police officers in public.
Lieutenant Lieb and Officer Poole even brought the discussion to life by role-playing two scenarios--one when an officer wasn't busy and had time to chat and another when he was working at a scene. It was an engaging way to demonstrate how to interact with officers. The audience had some great questions and comments.
The fun didn't stop there. Everyone was eager to check out Officer Poole's motorcycle and Lieutenant Lieb's cruiser. There was plenty of time for pictures and questions. (They even admired Officer Poole's shiny motorcycle boots.)
Then Lieutenant Lieb ran with all his gear on so Officer Poole could show how his radar works. Turns out he's pretty fast--he reached a speed of 14 mph! This sparked some friendly competition, with attendees wanting to race him, Officer Poole, and each other. The highlight? A gentleman lost his shoe in the race and just kept going!
We also had a lovely surprise discovering that former member of the 614cadets and CPD Officer Victoria Dameron, who worked closely with Starfish for years, had organized the event! We didn't know she'd left CPD, but we're overjoyed to find her thriving in a career where she continues to make a difference.
This fantastic experience at Learning Never Ends has us eager to partner with similar facilities for more of these interactive sessions. We're grateful to our friend, Marion Police Lieutenant Ed Brown, who shared a ton of great ideas.
A big thank you to everyone at Learning Never Ends for welcoming us and making our day extra special. Many shared how they used to fear the police, but not anymore. The event ended with lots of warm hugs. It was a beautiful day, and we hope the pictures do it justice. Here's to more days like this!
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