Local police and sheriff deputies embarked on a four-hour fishing expedition with local youngsters Friday, an event designed for building communication and trust.
The “Hook a Kid on Fishing” event had 26 children between the ages of 9 and 14 teaming up with law enforcement officers to learn about how to fish and have some fun at CERAland Park campgrounds.
Columbus Police Officer Julie Quesenbery, who has served as a school resource officer since early 2014, described “Hook a Kid on Fishing” as “an awesome tool outside of the box for us to use to build relationships with kids.”
“The quietness of fishing really allows us the opportunity to talk with these kids and learn things about them,” Quesenbery said. “It’s also a chance for them to get to know us not just as police officers, but as people who really have their best interests at heart.”
Most participating students applied through the Columbus Police Department’s website, as well as the CPD Facebook page, she said. But a few participants were children recommended for the program by the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) in Bartholomew Circuit Court, Quesenbery said.
JDAI also supplied the officers and youngsters with a complete box lunch free-of-charge, according to Columbus Police officer Greg Ross, the school resource officer at Central Middle School. In addition, CERAland, located off County Road 525E, allowed the use of their facilities without charge, and even provided much of the bait, Ross said.
Columbus Police Officer Eric Stevens, who has been a school resource officer for seven years, said the fishing trip is a chance for the officers to tune into the kids’ conversations and do some listening.
“Out here, you are on a one-to-one level. If you just set aside a few minutes, take in what they’re saying, show interest in what they are doing, and share your similar experiences — they really appreciate being heard and that someone is interested in them. After all, kids are people, too.”
Future investment
One thing about the event is that it’s better suited for younger children than older kids, Columbus Police Chief Mike Richardson said.
”Obviously, you have to start out when the kids are young, so they will grow up trusting police officers,” Richardson said. “Programs like DARE are mostly all about teaching, but this event, as well as being a school resource officer, provides a good opportunity to interact on a one-to-one basis.”
This positive interaction might help law enforcement in the future if police are involved in an interaction with a child or their parents sometime in the future, said Capt. Chris Roberts, commander of the Detective’s Bureau of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.
Quesenbery recalled a few years ago when one young boy stuck by her side for most of the morning at the lake during the fishing event. It wasn’t until the event was almost over that the boy told Quesenbery that his father had told him about some issues he had with a female police officer.
”After it was over, this boy told me he thought cops were pretty cool now,” Quesenbery said. “Even now, that kid will go with us on some of my family’s fishing trips.”
All about fishing
While the law enforcement officers were focusing on communication, the kids were dialing into the fun side of catching a fish.
Parkside Elementary fifth grader Matthew Muir says he just wanted the challenge of trying to catch a fish. And with an experienced fisherman helping him, Matthew said it was more likely he would catch a fish than if he were on his own, he said.
Olivia Simmons, who will turn 10 soon, said her older brother took part in the event in 2019.
”When my brother said he had a good time, I said I wanted to do it, too,” the home-schooled Olivia said. “This is the first time I’ve ever gone fishing.”
There were also a few experienced young fishermen such as Noah Marsh, an incoming freshman at Columbus North High School. Marsh says he has done a lot of fishing at CERAland during camping trips, as well as while taking family vacations to Wisconsin.
“Last year, I spent all of my time inside, due to the COVID,” the teen said of his interest in the event. “I just wanted to get out and do stuff,”
Marsh brought up an valid point that made this year’s outing more important than ever, Quesenbery said.
“Working in the schools full-time, the school resource officers have been able to see the (negative) effects of students being stuck at home full-time,” Quesenbery said. “That’s why all of us got so excited about this event.”
The fishing event also boosted the morale of participating law enforcement officers, Richardson said.
“You can just see all the officers have big smiles on their faces,” the police chief said.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Pull Quote” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
“The quietness of fishing really allows us the opportunity to talk with these kids and learn things about them. It’s also a chance for them to get to know us not just as police officers, but as people who really have their best interests at heart.”
— Sgt. Julie Quesenbery, Columbus Police Department school resource officer
[sc:pullout-text-end]
