Rebecca Holsopple, c/o 2025
I used my $10 to make cookies for the Hopewell Police Department to show them appreciation and value while building a relationship with them.
Giving the police department cookies makes them feel appreciated. The cookies coming from a teenager show my appreciation for what they do. I also feel that this gift coming from someone in the community they help protect would make them feel that they’re having a positive impact. If I were a police officer who took risks for my community and someone from that community took the time and effort to give me a gift I would feel respected.
Officers should feel valued as individuals as well as a group. Police officers feel valued as individuals because they feel a personal sense of responsibility to their community, especially if it's one they reside in. The officers feel valued as a group from knowing when they go to work you know your partners and brothers as they are called “have your back.”
I personally want to build a relationship with the Hopewell Police Department. With me presenting the cookies to them, I feel like it could build a rapport with the officers. With this small gesture, I could start to build a relationship with the officers if I need help with anything down the line from advice about laws to a college character reference. I have thought about being a lawyer, and building these relationships now could help me learn how to make relationships with future law enforcement.
Do I think people should do this? Yes, I think people should do what I did. I think that law enforcement should be treated better. The media only shows the bad cops instead of portraying the good cops can do, therefore people only see the bad in law enforcement. I would make more of a variety of cookies and make more cookies so that way everyone can have some.