USA Today reports on Kids ‘n’ Kops trading card program
USA Today reported on the Kids ‘n’ Kops trading card program offered by the Bangor and University of Maine police departments. The program aims to raise awareness about bullying and substance abuse prevention among elementary and middle school children. A similar program called Kids & Kops originally began in 1986 and was spearheaded by then-UMaine men’s basketball coach and UMaine alumnus Skip Chappelle. The new series of 14 trading cards feature male and female UMaine student-athletes who play Division I sports. The cards are handed out by members of the police departments at community events, including university athletic games. Once children collect five of a kind, they go to their local police department, where they exchange the cards for T-shirts and a pair of tickets to university games, according to the report. “We’re trying to bridge the gap there between the youngster and the cop,” Chappelle said. “In no way do we want our young kids in the area feeling that the law enforcement people are bad people.”