Adopt-A-Cop Program

The La Grange Park Police Department’s Adopt-A-Cop program began in 1999 as a means for providing elementary school-aged children in our community with positive, non-threatening opportunities to learn more about our police officers. It was felt that more could be done to enable students to realize that police personnel are not merely “enforcers” and to highlight the human side of our profession.

Topics

In this rewarding program, officers are “Adopted” by specific classes as their chosen officer for the upcoming school year. Each month, these officers spend 30 minutes with their respective classes and share information on age-appropriate topics, including:

• Anti-bullying awareness and conflict resolution skills
• Anti-drug and tobacco messaging
• Bike and pedestrian safety
• Following school rules
• Halloween safety
• Police equipment lectures and station tours
• Respecting others and their property
• Stranger Danger

Benefits

The benefits of this program are many, and include:

• Increased relationship-building between students and officers
• Positive role-modeling for students
• Officers gain greater appreciation for the challenges faced by teachers and administrators
• School faculty and staff learn more about their local police department

Recognition

We are proud of the success our Adopt-A-Cop program has enjoyed since its inception. In 2000, it was recognized by Cook County Crimestoppers and the Chicagoland Area Chamber of Commerce with the Public Sector Award as an innovative community crime prevention program.