Free backpacks and new police friends for Hempstead children
Hempstead Village intern Eryn Bottoms, 21, of Hempstead gives a backpack to Emani Mumin, 2, of West Hempstead during the Nassau Police Foundation's backpack giveaway Wednesday at Kennedy Memorial Park in Hempstead. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
About a dozen children circled two officers with the Nassau police department's mounted unit Wednesday night as the cops sat atop their horses at a Hempstead Village park.
One girl asked if she could touch "Valor," the four-legged partner of Officer Joseph Morris.
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About a dozen children circled two officers with the Nassau police department's mounted unit Wednesday night as the cops sat atop their horses at a Hempstead Village park.
One girl asked if she could touch "Valor," the four-legged partner of Officer Joseph Morris.
A curious boy wanted to know if the officer's horse could beat comic book superhero "The Flash" in a foot and hoof race.
Another boy asked if the hardy steed could make it all the way to Florida.
Yes, no, and it would take a long time, Morris answered with a smile.
Morris' role at the Kennedy Memorial Park event Wednesday went far beyond posing for photos with the children and responding to horse queries.
The horse demonstration was part of a backpack giveaway event hosted by the Nassau and Hempstead Village police departments.
Emilio Rodriguez, 5, of Hempstead picks out a backpack with his sister Jimena, 8, and father, Louis, during the Nassau Police Foundation's backpack giveaway Wednesday at Kennedy Memorial Park in Hempstead. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
Nassau police officials have said they intend to boost officer presence in Hempstead in response to a recent uptick in crime.
The hope, police said, is that the interaction between Morris and other officers with the children and their families will strengthen ties between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
As hundreds of families waited in a light drizzle, many gazed at "Valor" while in line for free new backpacks filled with school supplies, including pencils, crayons, and erasers.
“I get to smile a lot here. We get to share a lot of smiles here,” Morris said. “Nobody would come to pet your police car. But they would come over to pet your horse.”
So far this year, Hempstead Village, which has a population of 55,000, has had six homicides, police said. The number of homicides for all of 2018 was four. Police said the homicides are gang-related.
“We’d seen an uptick in shootings,” Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said Wednesday. “We jumped into action, partnering with the county, partnering with the local police department and making sure that we have the kind of enforcement we need, coupled with reaching out into the community and building those bridges.”
Before school starts Tuesday, police said they organized the event to build goodwill and trust.
“I think the climate out in today’s world, you know, it’s the anti-cop thing. We are not the bad guys. We are the good guys,” Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said. “All the kids [here], you know what? They will love a cop now instead of not liking a cop.”
While waiting in the line, Colleen Campbell, of Hempstead, said the one thing she wants from the backpack is endurance.
Her son, Zyon Campbell, 8, who will be in 4th grade this fall, goes through two or three backpacks a year. Colleen Campbell said she had already bought a new one for Zyon but is not sure if the backpack will last through the school year.
“Now we will have a backup,” she said. “Every bit helps.”
Carlos Morales, who accompanied his son Christian Morales, 12, said the event helps those in need.
“It’s great,” he said. “It’s a service they are doing [for] the community.”
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