Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is pushing for federal, state and local law enforcement officers to take initiative within their communities to build bonds and mentor at-risk kids.
This week, Moody sent 300 letters statewide to sheriffs, police chiefs and federal agency heads urging law enforcement participation in the Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mentorship program, Bigs in Blue. This successful program already has hundreds of dedicated volunteers and by expanding participation amongst law enforcement, it will help create more valuable mentor relationships between at-risk kids and the officers who serve their communities.
Bigs in Blue pairs law enforcement personnel as one-on-one mentors to children in the communities they serve. The mentors serve one hour a week, spending time with local children by helping with academics, playing sports, going for walks and much more.
“There is a growing list of children that desperately need guidance and a positive relationship in their lives to steer them down the right path. I hope we can inspire more law enforcement officers to participate in this very worthwhile mentorship program and build critical bonds within their communities,” Moody said.
“By encouraging mentor relationships between law enforcement and at-risk children, we can break down barriers, create valuable opportunities to learn from one another, and change lives,” she added.
Last year, Moody, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles announced a partnership to increase statewide law enforcement participation in the Bigs in Blue program. Since the announcement of this partnership, there has been a steady increase in volunteers for Bigs in Blue. There are currently more than 260 active matches with law enforcement officers through more than 30 agencies statewide.
Moody’s Back the Blue campaign highlights law enforcement officers, citizens and organizations taking extraordinary steps to forge positive relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Last year, Moody presented a Back the Blue Award to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay for facilitating the Bigs in Blue mentoring program.
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