Children in Day Care Learn About Police

They did not look like leprechauns exactly, but the two Los Angeles Police Department officers who visited Just Like Home Family Child Care on Thursday showed plenty of green spirit.

The 12 children at the privately owned day-care center ate doughnuts with green jelly as they listened to Foothill Division officers, who wore black uniforms, talk about the exciting world of law enforcement.

“Do you guys know what a police officer is?” asked Officer Don Muniz, who is of Spanish and Irish descent.

“Yes, you drive cars,” said 2-year-old Kierin McClung.

“Police officers help people, including children. It’s their job to be your friend,” Muniz told the children. “Police officers are people. Some are fathers. Some are mothers.”

A few paid attention, some picked on the doughnuts and others were too busy jumping, running around or throwing juice on the patio table.

Sgt. Karen Ellis showed some of the children, who were 2 to 4 years old, her badge and handcuffs.

“Do you guys know what these are?” Ellis asked.

“You use them when somebody is robbing a bank?” asked 4-year-old Heather Grace Robertson.

At the end of the morning, the children joined the officers in a two-block parade, which was as easy as “keeping a straight line of marbles in a box,” said the center’s operator, Mary May, who organized the event.

The children also got to turn on the lights and sirens of a squad car.

The visit was planned a few days ago when May met the officers during a routine call and asked if they would visit the center and talk to the children. She said she wanted to revive the old Hollywood image of an Irish cop respected by the entire community.

“Kids need to trust officers, no matter what,” she said. “If we are afraid of them, how sad.”

The officers said they would gladly come back any day.

“Some of these children only see police officers when their parents are getting a ticket or we get a call to their house,” Ellis said. “We want them to know we are here for them.”