The school resource officer at Midtown Elementary School in Madison has a new set of wheels; Three wheels to be exact!
Just three months ago, Midtown’s school resource officer (SRO) Shane Kyker stumbled across a video of another out-of-state school-based officer riding around the campus on an adult-sized tricycle.
“I want to do that,” he shared with a smile as he considered how approachable a tricycle would make a police officer appear to the children he strives to protect every day.
Midtown Elementary in Madison, Alabama
“Police aren’t often shown in a good light because of a few bad ones, but I want the kids to see that we are human too and that we are safe.”
Officer Kyker took this idea and contacted the Midtown PTA who immediately loved the idea and committed to taking this idea for a whirl (literally).
“I have first graders at this school,” shared PTA Vice President of Programs Michelle Epling, “so I know that sometimes police officers can be a little intimidating to kids because they do carry guns on their hips.”
She continued to share that the PTA strives to bridge together the families and the school itself, and they knew this would be a fun way to build children’s trust in police officers from a young age.
Once the idea was solidified, Epling and the PTA work diligently in partnering with Asis’s North Alabama chapter which donated a tricycle for Midtown. ASIS is a professional security organization, and they stated that getting on board with these ideas was an easy one.
A representative from Asis shared that “kids love bicycles, and this school has big, open hallways, and we knew this would be a great thing.”
The tricycle’s big debut took place this morning, December 16th, in front of hundreds of students who were delighted by the site of Officer Kyker riding the tricycle.
“We are always trying to make school fun,” shared Midtown Principal Savannah Demeester. “And this is just another one of those ways that we try to go above and beyond and do just that.”
To make the reveal extra fun, the school plant manager built a “candy cannon” that shot out many rounds of candy to excited students.
The sight brought smiles to every face in attendance, a good sign of the positive morale this new tricycle will bring for years to come at Midtown Elementary School.
More from Madison
Madison Police Show Up and Show Out for Kids’ Birthday Parade
