Polson police officers spend time with kids

Shortly after 5 p.m. Friday, three local boys were taking a breather in the shade after playing basketball at Polson High School.

The youths, Nathan Hewankorn, Lincoln Burrough and Brenden Griffin, all 11 years old, were practicing shooting hoops a day before the 3-on-3 Flathead Lake Basketball Tournament began.

During their patrol, Polson Police Officer Cody Doyle and Corporal George Simpson spotted the trio, and challenged them to a brief game that lasted about 10 minutes.

Doyle had two of the basketballers on his team while Simpson had one.

Doyle’s team beat Simpson’s with a final score of 3-2.

“I make it a goal to be with one kid a day,” Simpson said afterwards.

He said that there is a positive relationship between kids and officers in the city.

There are about 15 officers in the department, and Simpson said he encourages staff to have candy and badges for kids when they are out on patrol.

Simpson said he began going to the school during his shift about a year ago after he made a DUI arrest on a woman. There was a little girl in the car who was safely taken home, he said.

The next day he went on patrol, seeing kids playing basketball. As he played, he noted one of the kids, a little girl, was quiet. He asked one of the others, who responded that Simpson had arrested the girl’s mother the night before for a DUI.

He got a group picture and documented it on Facebook, talking about how he went to shoot some hoops with the kids. The girl’s mother responded in a message to the department, giving thanks.

Simpson, who has been working with the department’s social media, has been looking for ways to include the public.

He said when he first got to the department about two years ago, the department’s Facebook page had about 200 followers.

Since then, Simpson said followers have grown to more than 3,600.

Most recently, an Instagram account called polsonpolice has been started, building on the effort to reach out to various demographics. Simpson said he notices that Instagram is used by a younger following.

Using social media, he said, “has opened new communication with the public.”

For instance, after playing basketball on Friday, he uploaded a picture to the department’s Facebook page, joining countless others that document other times he and officers have interacted with children.

Simpson also spent a little time at a lemonade stand where a group of five kids set up shop, where he passed out lolliopops and badges. A photo of the stand was also posted, marking the moment.

Working in Polson is something Simpson looks forward to.

Previously working with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Jacksonville Police Department in Florida, Simpson said that working closely with the children in the community is something he looks forward to.

“If I can spend” just a little bit of time with one child a day, “then that’s about 30 kids a month” that Simpson said will have a positive interaction with law enforcement.

He also said he enjoys spending time with children earlier in his shifts because as the night progresses, he usually deals with crime committed by adults.

During a ride along with the Leader, Simpson explained that call volumes typically pick up around 10 p.m., especially on the weekends.

While on patrol after the impromptu basketball game, Simpson spotted a car from out of town going 38 mph in a 25 mph zone. The driver, Simpson said, was looking at the scenery, not paying attention to the posted speed limit. The driver was given a warning.

Shortly after, a shoplifting call came through from dispatch. It was reported the young woman had a baby with her. Upon arrival at the store, Simpson confirmed the young mother had taken a handful of makeup. After a conversation with Simpson and Doyle, she admitted she had recently lost her job and decided to shoplift the beauty products. Simpson said he told the young woman about a possilbe job idea.

In addition to serving as role models for children, Simpson explained that the department wants to help those in the community, whether on patrol, being accessible through social media, or reviewing accounts of calls officers answer.

One safety measure for the community and the department can help provide insight for calls officers respond to, Simpson said.

Each officer is outfitted with a bodycam and each car has a camera. Simpson said he reviews the footage when looking over reports for each incident. There have been times when he has spoken with people who, remember scenarios a bit differently.

“I invite them in and we go over the footage together,” he said. Usually, he added, in the cases where people have had a little too much to drink, they leave slightly embarrassed after watching the footage.

The Polson Police Department can be found on both Facebook and Instagram by searching for “polsonpolice.”