Children learn what it means to be a police officer

Being a police officer is more than just catching and locking up bad guys. It’s about the community.

What initially began with the children at Gowrie Docklands Kindergarten (GDK) playing the classic game of ‘Good Guys, Bad Guys’, evolved into a game about police catching the bad guys, with the children constructing jails to lock them up. These observations from the educators led to discussions with the children about what the police do. The children were interested in learning more about what being a police officer involved (other than chasing after bad guys down the street, handcuffing them and then locking them in jail!)

Some of the children believed that if they misbehave or don’t eat their food then the police will get them, and that only men could be police officers. This was a great opportunity to engage with the children and broaden their understanding of the police.

Senior Constables Alex Kwakernaak and Elizabeth Oliver from the Victoria Police were invited to come speak to the children so that they could ask them questions directly and learn about the role of police officers within their community. Educational Leader Liz explained why it was important for the children to learn from the police officers about what they do. “With the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) family community we work with we wanted to make sure children and families have the same opportunities and receive the same messages from the police officers that they are here to help,” she says.

During the visit the children and educators sat in a circle as the constables asked them questions about what they think the police do, what police officers look like, and addressed some common misconceptions. “The children had preconceived ideas that the police were only men, so it was great that the officers who visited were able to display that police officers are regular people and that can be anybody,” said Liz.

The children were highly engaged as their hands shot up into the air to ask questions. The constables also sang a song with the children about car safety which they really enjoyed, as well as reading a book together.

Senior Constable Kwakernaak explained to the children that the police are there to help. “They (children) genuinely have a good outlook on police and that’s why we’re here to promote that,” she says. “The main belief is that we ‘catch the bad guys’ but when we explore it more, they begin to understand we’re here to help and keep people safe in many ways.”

It’s important for children to understand that the police are always there to help. “Children need to know from a young age that when they need help the police are here to help them,” says Senior Constable Kwakernaak. “Every person deserves to feel safe in the community, and they deserve to have a safe place to go and feel heard and listened to.”

At the end of the session, the constables brought out uniforms and police gear which the children could play with. They got to wear police hats, shirts, vests and even had fun handcuffing their teachers Jefry and Jacque.

The children really enjoyed having the police visit and talk to them, with some of the children sharing their thoughts:

Vedh: “I like the police officers. When I grow up, I want to be a police officer”

Jun: “Police officers don’t just catch bad guys; they do lots of other things too. They help people. But they also chase robbers”

Audrey: “I like dressing up like a police officer”