"It's the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a difference in our lives." - Fred Rogers
Our mission is to build a bridge between law enforcement officers and the children in their communities through play.
Our vision is to build a culture of trust and mutual respect among law enforcement officers and the children and families in their communities.
Our belief is that working together is the most effective way to bring about change. Our programs will build safer, happier, and more trusting communities.
How It Works
Police at Play was created as a non-profit organization to provide community outreach programs for elementary and middle school-aged children in Wake County. We work with local schools to bring programs to the students that will use unstructured play as a foundation to build strong relationships with officers of the law, relationships built on trust, understanding, and respect. We aim to mend the broken relationships that have been formed between law enforcement officers and community members, particularly in communities that have felt marginalized or underserved. We want to show our residents that the police are not to be feared, and we want to give our young children away to have positive interactions with them from an early age to break the vicious cycle of mistrust and fear.
Trust and mutual respect for our law enforcement officials begins at an early age. We must foster and establish long-term relationships in order to build safer communities and mutual respect for years to come. Important conversations need to be had to change preconceived ideas, and the best time to introduce that rhetoric is in elementary-aged children when they are still learning and developing through play and social interaction. A change in widespread perceptions won’t happen overnight, but through partnership, commitment, and trust, we will begin to see a shift in a positive direction.
How You Can Help
Our organization is built around the efforts of our amazing volunteers, and we always welcome
members of the community to share their time and talents with us. There are many ways to get involved
by volunteering on school playgrounds, at block parties, or even by offering administrative assistance.
There is something for everyone, and we cherish each and every volunteer!
We are grateful for every donation to our community efforts, whether it is a cash donation, toys for playground events, freeze pops, books for story stations, or your time. All donations are valuable to us and help us expand our program reach. Through your donation, you are directly making a difference in the lives of children in your community.
We are always looking for businesses to partner with us through sponsorship opportunities. If you own or work for a local business, and would like further details on event or block party sponsorship, please contact us. You can even sponsor a local school or police station, which helps to bring more officers into the lives of our local children.
Sign up on our website for continual updates on our community outreach and events. Learn about our events and how you can make a difference. The time is now to invest in the future and safety of our community through Police at Play!
Share our local stories, spread the word about our events, and provide encouragement and positive reinforcement to your local police stations and law officers. We are able to grow and expand through the positive actions of others within our communities.