PHOTO: Rainsville Officer Tim Devlin reads Dr. Seuss's, "1 Fish, 2 Fish, Redfish, Blue Fish," to children at Kandieland Daycare Center. It's part of the department's new effort to be more visible in the community and cultivate a positive image with Rainsville's youth. (Tyler Pruett | Southern Torch)
By Tyler Pruett, Managing Editor
RAINSVILLE, Ala. — This week, longtime Rainsville Police Officer Tim Devlin was named, "Employee of the Month," for the department. Devlin has stepped up big for the department and has been crucial to the department's new effort to be more present in the community and promote a positive image of law enforcement to Rainsville's youth.
On Thursday morning, after responding to a call, Devlin spent the next couple of hours reading to children at Kandieland Daycare. The kids were all smiles as he navigated through the difficult tongue twisters of "1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish," in honor of the National Education Association's, "Read Across America Day," which is celebrated on Dr. Seuss's birthday, March 2.
"This will be a regular thing they'll start doing," said daycare owner Kandie Watson McElyea. "They've been very active with the schools recently. Rainsville Officers have been coming by to check on us, and they've been helping with our active shooter plans."
"They're also going to start reading to the kids to help promote a positive image of the police," explained McElyea. "Many of these kids grow up being told, 'the police will get you if you are bad,' but they need to see officers as someone they can trust and not be afraid of."
"We're trying to change the environment when it comes to community policing," said Rainsville Police Chief Kevin Smith. "Much of our youth grow up with a fear of people in authority, and this leads to a distrust when they become young adults."
"We want them to see our officers as trusted community leaders," added Smith. "We've been conducting at least two walk-thrus at each school per week. It not only lets students interact with our officers, but it's a deterrent to bad guys who might be planning a shooting."
"Officer Devlin has really stepped up in this effort, and he has a heart for kids," said Smith.
Thursday at Kandieland Daycare wasn't Devlin's first appearance at a Rainsville school this week. He also read to children at Plainview earlier this week. Devlin is also a familiar face at Cornerstone Christian Academy, where he and another officer take turns directing traffic on the busy highway when parents are hurriedly dropping off and picking up their children.
"I'm trying to put a positive vibe out their to our youth. I really care about the community," Devlin said. "With a lot of the negative information out there, they need to see that not everything they see or hear is correct.
"It's not only to make our schools safer, but to help get the positive image back," added Devlin.
Be sure to follow the Rainsville Police Department on Facebook for information on their upcoming, "Youth Day in the Park."
