For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Gloucester Police Kick Off Second Year of “KOPS-N-KIDS” Initiative

20 Total Visits to All Five City Elementary Schools Planned by Officers

GLOUCESTER — Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, Interim Police Chief John McCarthy, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Richard Safier are pleased to announce that the Gloucester Police kicked off the second year of its popular “KOPS-N-KIDS” program with a visit yesterday to the West Parish Elementary School.

“Our police department is composed of dedicated human beings, and we want students to get to know these people so that, if they ever need help, there will be no hesitation to call the police,” Mayor Theken said. 

Yesterday’s visit also marked one of the first deployments of the Gloucester Police Department’s freshly wrapped BMW i3 electric vehicles, which were donated this summer by Lyon-Waugh Auto Group. One of the vehicles has been specially designed as a “Community Policing Vehicle” with the “KOPS-N-KIDS” logo prominently featured. 

KOPS N KIDS program coordinator Sergeant Jeremiah Nicastro was in attendance along with Officers Chris Liacos, Peter Sutera, Anthony Giacalone, Joe Balbo, Scott Duffany, and John Trefry, Sgt Brian Aiello, Lieutenant David Quinn, and Chief McCarthy.

The police officers visited with students, sat in on classes, and even served lunch!

“We want our young people to meet police officers face-to-face and learn that we are people just like them and their family members, friends, and teachers,” Chief McCarthy said. “I am pleased to roll out the  ‘KOPS-N-KIDS’ program for a second year.”

A total of twenty visits are planned for the school year, spread out across the five Gloucester elementary schools: West Parish School, East Gloucester School, Veterans Memorial School, Plum Cove School, and Beeman School

The “KOPS-N-KIDS” initiative deploys Gloucester police officers to each of the city’s elementary schools to spend time with students, giving them a chance to see police officers in a fun, friendly, non-threatening setting and understand that the police officers are there to help them whenever they’re in need. The trust building community policing exercise launched last spring with 10 visits to Gloucester’s elementary schools.

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