New London police, firefighters promote hands-on youth empowerment
New London — In Mahan Park on Friday a group of five elementary-age kids climbed on a police utility vehicle, alternately hitting the siren button and taking over the speaker system.
"Yelling at my brother is my favorite part," Olivia Jennings, 8, said.
The utility vehicle was just one of several police vehicles with kids at the wheel, including a truck from the traffic enforcement division and a firetruck, during an event Friday evening aimed at promoting a positive relationship between city law enforcement and the community.
Waves of kids cycled through a moonbounce, face-painting and hula-hooping as they talked with New London police officers and firefighters, who handed out plastic firefighting helmets and threw around a football with them.
The event came about thanks to the work of 11-year-old Izaiah Moore, who is black, and his mother, Marinette Davila, who funded the event herself. They live a street over from Mahan Park.
Moore has a behavioral issue, his mother said, and weeks ago he told her he was concerned about how the police might treat him.
Davila said she was taken aback, and explained to him that the police were there to help him.
Moore decided to thank law enforcement by setting up a lemonade stand to benefit police officers.
More than 40 officers from nearby departments showed up to patronize the stand.
However, Davila said she wanted to see New London police develop a stronger relationship with her son and other children in the community.
"We want our law enforcement to know our kids and have a relationship with them, and say, 'I know that kid' ... it's a big difference," she said.
She reached out to the police department and sat down with Mayor Michael Passero and got members of Community Speaks out to attend, as well as other area community organizations.
Her coworker Lisa Baldi and Izaiah's former teacher Karl Jennings also assisted in the process.
"Who wants ice cream?" police Capt. Brian Wright shouted through the hot, humid air, sending kids from all over the park flocking toward him as he handed out frozen treats.
Wright said the event was a good example of the kind of community policing that the department likes to do to get to know the members of the community.
"It's not a sprint, it's a marathon," Wright said.
Dougenie Alexis, who attended the event with her grandchildren Jayden and Jason, said her good relationship with Capt. Wright and Officer Anthony Nolan is something she wants to pass along to her grandchildren.
"Most of the time kids see the police car, they don't know what's in there," she said.
As Izaiah finished his ice cream and tried to figure out which station to visit next, he checked his Batman-themed watch. Only an hour had passed.
"It hasn't even started yet," he said.
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