BATESBURG-LEESVILLE, S.C. — Batesburg-Leesville Police Officers are reading books to kids through videos while students are out of school because of the coronavirus.
School Resource Officers and other officers have been able to read to the kids throughout the school year. Chief Wallace Oswald said they wanted to continue to read to the kids even with school out.
"One of our SRO's said, 'Now that school is out, wouldn't it be a cool idea to continue on our Facebook page of reading to the kids,'" said Chief Oswald.
Since that conversation, several SRO's have been recorded reading a children's book and posting it onto their Facebook page. This gives kids the opportunity to listen to an officer read to them whenever they want to.
"Positive reactions from parents," said Chief Oswald. "We get positive responses from the community and we're trying to keep the Resource Officers in touch with the kids during this break too."
The police department has been posting videos every other day and plan on continuing to do so as kids remain to be out of school.
"I always have thought a big part of the Resource Officer Program was having that relationship built between officers and the kids so that they have a positive relationship between the police and the kids as they're growing up all the way through school and of course in adult life they still have that positive relationship with police officers," explained Chief Oswald.
The department says they hope it makes a difference for the kids and they still feel connected with the officers.
"With the kids being locked-down now and can't get out as much, I think they have their devices at home, they have their chromebooks, iPad and whatever they have, it gives them something extra to be able to look at and see the officers reading to them and give them a little bit more to do, rather than just sit at home and twiddling their thumbs and not having anything to do."