NWTC Service-Learning and Civic Engagement 2017-2018 | Page 6

C O M M U N I T Y M AT T E R S
CHILDREN/YOUTH
Carving with a Cop
Building relationships between local law
enforcement and community members.
How often do community members
have an opportunity to sit down
with local police officers, have
fun, chat, ask questions, and get
to know the people behind the
badges? For the majority, this
likely doesn’t occur too often.
That’s just one of many reasons
local police departments like the
Oneida Police Department and
Green Bay Police Department,
among others, host what they
call the “Carving with a Cop” event
which gives police officers and
the public a chance to interact
informally in comfortable settings.
Looking a lot like Halloween inside
the Three Sisters Community
Center, dozens of pumpkins
are lined up each year for local
kids. Much like the name implies,
Carving with a Cop is just that:
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a community event to carve a
pumpkin, learn about safety,
enjoy great snacks and chat with
local officers. Events like this give
people a chance to see officers
in a positive setting rather than
moments of crisis, while giving
that same gift to the officers.
NWTC Criminal Justice students
also volunteer their time annually
during this event, along with
similar events like an Easter Egg-
stravaganza where children dye
eggs with local law enforcement,
and a winter event making tie
blankets for domestic violence
programs, local shelters, elderly
individuals, and for patrol officers
to hand out to those in need.
Matthew Ninham, NWTC Criminal
Justice instructor and Shioctan
Police Department officer, is