The 12th Police District’s Cops and Kids 101 program visited the Smithsonian’s National African American Museum of History and Culture on Saturday, September 30, 2023. Both children and adults were shocked by what some African-American ancestors endured and in awe of the museum’s beautiful and realistic exhibits.
Cops and Kids 101 is a mentoring program to help bridge the gap between police officers and children. It is not limited to kids who live in the 12th Police District.
The group, which began in 2009, meets once a month to talk, host a special guest speaker, enjoy an indoor or outdoor activity, or take a trip. Cops and Kids also have an annual holiday party. The funding for the program is provided by police officers and private donors.
The Cops and Kids 101 program’s bus trip to the Smithsonian was sponsored by the Philadelphia Police Department’s 12th Police District Community Relations team, its Police District Advisory Council and Chaplains Program, the U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia and St. Rep. Joanna McClinton, who donated money for the bus.
