Media Release

Clark Elementary School Teams Up With Charlottesville City Police Department to Initiate “Books and Badges” Program

The library staff at Clark Elementary School in Belmont has created, in conjunction with the Charlottesville City Police Department, a program called Books and Badges. Its purpose is to develop a comfortable relationship between Clark students and law enforcement officers. Dale Breeden, an instructional assistant at Clark states “today's youth are exposed to such distorted portrayals of the police through popular culture. Our program at Clark works to change that distorted view. Our students are getting to know police officers on a personal one-to-one basis. They are learning about their uniforms, their equipment, and some things they do to keep our neighborhoods as safe as possible. We hope that this personal relationship will be a life-lasting one that will help our children make good choices as they navigate the teen years and beyond.”

Lt. Mike Dean from the Charlottesville Police Department comes weekly and reads to Clark School students in the library. He is a 20-year veteran of the CPD and also an alumnus of Clark School. According to Ms. Breeden, “This gave the children an immediate connection with Lt. Dean. We are looking forward to our weekly visits from Lt. Dean and others from our local law enforcement agencies. We usually meet Tuesday mornings in our Clark library.”

Lt. Dean states “Dale Breeden and James Pierce are the real heroes in this story. Without their initiative and vision this opportunity may never have gained ground. As for us (CPD), this event at Clark is a real opportunity to invest in the type of relationship we hope to have with all of our citizens, now and in the future. In just a few short years these children will be working in and leading our community in a variety of ways. We may never have the one on one opportunity to interact with these students and make that first impression that is so important in building trust as seen throughthe eyes of a child. Building this type of relationship has been one of the cornerstones of the department's community policing philosophy. It is extremely rewarding to see those bright smiles when you are able to connect with the kids on a level they understand.”

Clark Elementary Principal James Pierce said “Every Tuesday, I can count on seeing several Clark children walking out of the library talking about the story Lt. Dean just read to them. Lt. Dean is a natural with the kids, and gives them many opportunities to ask him questions about both the story he reads, and about his job. This early exposure to a kind and knowledgeable policeman in uniform will serve our community so well. We can see the immediate benefit during his reading time and in the halls after Lt. Dean leaves, but this project is a seed that will grow into something beautiful for our community years from now.”

For additional information contact:

James Pierce, Principal
Clark Elementary School
434-245-2414
James.Pierce@ccs.k12.va.us

Dale Breeden, Instructional Assistant
Clark Elementary School
434-245-2414
Dale.Breeden@ccs.k12.va.us

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Media Release

Clark Elementary School Teams Up With Charlottesville City Police Department to Initiate “Books and Badges” Program