Although she lives in Lake Zurich, Elke Kadzielawski has volunteered at Kops-N-Kidz in southwest suburban Lemont for years, Kadzielawski said.
After the annual event to bring together police and Lemont children won the Governor’s Hometown Award twice, Gov. Bruce Rauner encouraged Lemont officials to spread the idea to other towns, she said.
“I approached [Police] Chief [Steve Husak] and [Recreation Manager] Bonnie [Caputo], and said, ‘Can we do something along these lines?'” recalled Kadzielawski, an administrative assistant at the Lake Zurich Parks and Recreation Department.
Husak and Caputo thought the idea was great, Caputo said.
“We have many events in Lake Zurich focused on adults,” she said. “We thought this would be a great addition with such a great mission that we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to offer it to our community.”
On Friday, the local police and parks and recreation departments will host the second annual “Blue & You” event from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Lake Zurich police station, 200 Mohawk Trail, during a time in U.S. history when relations between police and youth are strained, Kadzielawski said.
Events, such as “Blue & You,” provide an opportunity for police to interact with residents in an informal setting, designed to ease any potential tension between the two, she said.
“Police have such a bad reputation these days,” she said. “Children are afraid to approach a police officer because they feel they are going to get into trouble or that police are not friendly.”
Five police officers were fatally shot and seven others wounded on July 7, when a sniper shooter opened fire in downtown Dallas during a protest over recent police shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Ten days later, a former Marine shot and killed three Baton Rouge law-enforcement officers, less than two weeks after a black man was fatally shot by police there in a confrontation, which sparked protests nationwide, the Tribune reported.
Blue & You organizers this year specifically will promote interactions between police and youth Friday with a scavenger hunt, Kadzielawski said.
“By us creating a scavenger hunt, where kids have to approach a police officer and ask a question and have police sign a sheet of paper, they will turn that ticket in for a prize,” she said. “We want the kids to know police are good and are somebody you can go to. You don’t have to be afraid of them. Our police officers are wonderful and love to interact with these children.”
Representatives from at least eight other police and state agencies, including the K-9 unit of the Lake County Sheriff’s office and an Illinois Department of Transportation’s ID unit, will be on hand Friday for the event, Kadzielawski said.
Other features intended to attract area kids are a DJ, face painters, inflatables, a diesel train and various giveaways, including bike helmets, T-shirts and goodie bags, Caputo said.
Husak is especially pleased Battle House Laser Combat, of Lake Barrington, is offering free laser-tag fights on the grassy area behind the station. The added activity should appeal to families and children, he said.
“We look forward to welcoming the community to our police station, so the public can meet and greet the men and women who work hard to make Lake Zurich a safe place to live,” Husak said.
Phil Rockrohr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
