CAIRO- On Tuesday, the Cairo Police Department held a cookout for the local youths of the Jackie Robinson Boys & Girls Club, building a relationship with the next generation.

Club Director Stephen Francis said that the department had come to him and the rest of his team with the idea and he was all for it.

“Today was actually the Cairo Police Department’s idea. They said, hey, you know what, the kids down there are part of the community we serve and we’d like to do a cookout,” Francis said. “We didn’t mind, of course. Kids love to eat.”

At the end of the day, with food being served for the kids, Francis said that it gave the children an opportunity to see officers up close and build a positive relationship and connections with local law enforcement.

“I think, over the years, there’s been such a bad rap over police officers, not here but in general, and I think the police officers showing themselves serve the community, hanging out with the kids, just being visible is destroying the myth by example,” Francis said.

Shanda Brinson, record clerk for the Cairo Police Department, said that the department fed the kids, before Sergeant Tommy Gainous spoke to the kids after they ate about vehicle safety.

“We fed the kids and staff lunch. Sgt. Tommy Gainous gave a brief talk about seatbelt and distracted driving safety,” Brinson said. “We wanted them to know how important it is to use your seatbelt at all times and to not distract the driver while riding in a vehicle.”

Additionally, informational pamphlets were handed out and trainees were introduced to the children.

“We also left pamphlets for the boys and girls to take home to their parents about seatbelt and distracted driving safety,” she said. “Trainees Reginald Jackson and Kyla Brown introduced themselves and told them that they were going to school soon to be officers and hoped they influence more girls and boys to become officers one day.”

Francis said that the way the officers, like Gainous, got involved with the kids, beyond the cookouts, were great steps to take to be examples of what serving the community looked like.

“So I think this makes them visible and doing cookouts such as this, continues to show these kids that we have a relationship, we don’t have to fear officers, they are here to protect and serve us,” Francis said. “This is just a little bit of them showing them what service looks like.”

A healthy relationship with law enforcement that is without fear, he said, will be a big and positive change for the next generation.

“This will go a long way for our children,” Francis said. “This generation is not going to have half of the fear that we had growing up. We appreciate the police officers for showing and doing what they did, we love them to death.”