Superior Police Department gains a new tool for helping children in crisis

A new resource for the Superior Police Department to help kids in crisis has been donated by the non-profit Reach-A-Child.

Reach-A-Child correspondent Cory Erickson explains, "We want to distract children in crisis situations. And so we found that books are extremely effective in distracting children whose house might be -there house is bringing right behind them, or there is a domestic dispute and the child is an unexpected victim."

35 of their crisis book bags will be placed inside the SPD squad cars. The books have pre-screened books for ages 2-12. The idea is that during a situation officers could reach with children or have the child read on their own on the scene.

Police Chief Nicholas Alexander says, “I can think back to my days on patrol where you are in homes where different things have happened. There could be domestic violence, there could be drugs, there could be child abuse or neglect. Those could be very traumatic events for adult to deal with so let alone imagine a young child.”

Reach-A-Child’s goal is to have a set of books at every station in Wisconsin and to find out more about their organization you can check out their website here.