Behind the Badge
La Habra police have figured out the perfect way to connect with the city’s youngest residents — with pizza and canines.
Dozens of families turned out Oct. 10 for the department’s inaugural Pizza with a Police Pup at PizzaRev on Imperial Highway in a new community outreach effort launched by LHPD.
“We’ve been doing Coffee with a Cop for a while, but I noticed that we would get a lot of adults, but not many children coming out,” said La Habra Lead Chaplain Mike Murphy. “I wanted to see if we could put something together for children.”
Kids reach in to pet Bobby, a 3-year-old drug-sniffing dog with the La Habra PD, as he holds onto his favorite chew toy.
Kids twelve and under were also able to get a free kids pizza during the Pizza with a Police Pup event at Pizza Rev in La Habra.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
The department’s drug-sniffing English Springer Spaniel, Bobby, and crisis K-9, Emerson, sat patiently as children came up and patted their coat or hugged them.
PizzaRev donated pizza for the kids while officers were on-hand to talk about the work Bobby, Emerson and the department’s patrol K-9s do for the city.
“It’s really sweet to see the small children interface with the dogs,” Murphy said. “I’m so happy with the amount of people who came out.
La Habra PD Chaplain Mike Murphy, left, keeps an eye on Emerson, a crisis K-9 with the La Habra PD, during the Pizza with a Police Pup event as kids gather around to reach in and pet the police dog that has helped many people cope during difficult times.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
“If we can do this every year, I think it’s a great idea.”
Ashley Oard said she brought her young daughters because she viewed the event as a fun learning experience.
“Whenever we see a police car I tell them, ‘That officer is going to help somebody’,” Oard said. “I think it’s good for them and it’s important for them to actually meet these officers.”
Lupe Mendez said she was invited by an officer while shopping with her three sons earlier that day.
Her children scarfed down their pizza quickly so they could return to playing with the canines.
“I think they learned a lot,” she said. “I think this was a great experience for the kids. They enjoyed it. It’s really nice that La Habra PD put this together.”
La Habra PD Officer Rob Sims shows kids the fake soda can with drugs hidden inside that Bobby, La Habra PD’s drug-sniffing dog, was able to find during a drug search demonstration, even through the can was also hidden inside a closed ice cooler.
The demo was part of La Habra PD’s Pizza with a Police Pup event at Pizza Rev in La Habra.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
La Habra PD Chaplain Mike Murphy, left, keeps an eye on Emerson, a crisis K-9 with the La Habra PD, during the Pizza with a Police Pup event as kids gather around to reach in and pet the police dog that has helped many people cope during difficult times.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
La Habra PD’s Bobby, a 3-year-old English Springer Spaniel, gets his reward, his favorite chew toy, after successfully using his nose to find hidden drugs during a demonstration, part of the Pizza with a Police Pup event at Pizza Rev in La Habra.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
David Andrade, 11, from La Habra, gets his turn to get up close to La Habra PD’s drug-sniffing dog, Bobby, during the Pizza with a Police Pup event at Pizza Rev in La Habra.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
La Habra PD Officer Rob Sims, left, and La Habra PD Chaplain Mike Murphy talk to kids gathered at Pizza Rev in La Habra for the LHPD’s Pizza with a Police Pup as they answer questions about the La Habra’s police dogs.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
