Members of the Palmetto Bay Policing Unit who were at Coral Reef Elementary School on Wednesday, Apr. 27, for Youth Crime Watch also participated in an extra event when members of the Good Samaritan Club, which is overseen by their teacher, Mrs. Regalado, took the opportunity to make a special donation.
The school, located at 7955 SW 152 St., has classes from pre-K through fifth grade, and members of the club came up with the idea to collect stuffed animals and give them to law enforcement officers. This was so the officers in turn can give them to kids in need as they encounter them at scenes of domestic disputes, accidents or crimes.
Officer Peter Judge of the Village Policing Unit’s Community Outreach Section was moved by the thoughtful efforts of the youngsters and expressed his appreciation then to the students and afterwards.
“As I said to the students, their kindness will not necessarily be seen today or tomorrow,” Officer Judge said. “But what they did may help a child in need, several weeks or even several months from now. It is important to remember that when grownups have problems that need to be worked out the children are sometimes left out. The child may become afraid and confused. It is a great resource for the police to have a stuffed animal to give to that child and provide them some comfort.”
A Miami-Dade Police detective, whose daughter is in kindergarten at Coral Reef Elementary School and is a member of the Good Samaritan Club, made Officer Judge aware of the students’ desire to help.
“The Palmetto Bay Policing Unit is extremely pleased and humbled to form this partnership with Coral Reef Elementary’s Good Samaritan Club,” Officer Judge said.
