Cops and Canines Captivate Saw Mill Fifth Graders
“You’ll never catch me” a New York State trooper, wearing a dog training bite suit, shouted as he got out of a car and ran across the field at Saw Mill Road Elementary School on May 12. From the blacktop, fifth graders watched intently as he was brought down within seconds by a police dog.
The police visit featured about a half-dozen New York State police officers along with a few of their canine companions and several of the signature navy blue patrol cars. More than 100 fifth graders enjoyed the hour-and-a-half program, which coincided with National Police Week.
Students got to rotate among different stations, where they got to see and try on police equipment, sit in a patrol car and talk through the microphone and learn about the canine unit. The culminating activity was the canine demonstration and watching a “bad guy” get chased down.
This was the second year Saw Mill Road has hosted a police demonstration for fifth graders, and it was organized by a parent who is in the New York State Police. It also followed a career day, in which students in all grades got to learn about various professions, including law enforcement.
