Crime & Safety

Police Interact with Kids in Archery Program

Grant from Cops and Kids Foundation allows officers to leave children with a positive influence.

Balloons were being popped, even if only a few, but more importantly a group of kids had big smiles on their faces as they tried to take down target after target late Friday morning while spending time with officers from the Waukesha Police Department.

The program was made possible by former City of Pewaukee officer Bob Kraemer and his son, Rob Kraemer, who started the Cops and Kids Foundation. The duo started the program to allow children to have a positive interaction.

"These cops and kids programs are very important for the positive interaction for the between the police department and the kids," Police Chief Russell Jack said. "Starting when they are very young, rather than thinking of cops as the bad people or when they are in trouble, we get the chance to interact with them in a fishing program, archery program, where they get to see the cops out of uniform – sometimes – and more in a positive light."

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Jack said the department has a variety of community policing efforts, including visiting the area playgrounds in the summers. Friday's archery event, though, was the first time the children were able to shoot arrows with the officers.

Rob Kraemer, vice president of the organization, said the foundation is looking for a corporate sponsor as it continues to expand its work with southeastern Wisconsin police departments.

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But that isn't where it stops.

"We would love to expand to the (rest of the) country, obviously as funding permits," he said.

For more information about the foundation, go to www.copsandkidsfoundation.org.


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