The Cleveland Police Foundation sponsored Community Policing’s TLC Program (Tough Love Cleveland) with students from Harvey Rice Elementary School on E 116th St…, in the Buckeye Neighborhood. Community Police and 4th District officers escorted the kids and staff to the West Side Market for a tour, lunch, and ice cream. The kids were asked questions on how police and kids can improve their relationship and help make our community a better place to live. The kids’ answers were quite insightful, each child mentioning that officers and kids need to be respectful to each other, and listen. Some other responses were; never carrying weapons, officers talking to them about their futures and goals, officers being present in the community and teaching them about the laws and what police do, letting the kids pet the canine dogs, organizing basketball games, and having a community cook out. The teachers and staff at Harvey Rice should be very proud of these young men. Now Community Policing and the Cleveland Police Foundation need to get to work and make their ideas come to life. Mitchell’s Ice Cream provided free ice cream to the kids, staff, and officers. Thank you Mike and Pete Mitchell, and as always our good friend Amanda Dempsey.
Retired CPD Officer Jimmy Traynor, who owns the West Side Market Cafe’, took the time to give the kids and staff a history lesson on the West Side Market.