Collect 'em All! Pa. Police Department Brings Back Officer Trading Cards
Brown himself has a card included in the collection, and is excited to see this latest community policing effort work alongside his administration's other goals for the city.
"It's great because now when [card collectors] see that officer again, they have his card..." Brown said of the community-building the cards may bring. "They get to know them. The family gets to know the officer so that, when they patrol, it's more of a friendly type of situation where they're not afraid of the officers."
The mayor praised Coffay, Fire Chief Jay Delaney, and the city's Department of Public Works, and suggested that similar trading card programs can be implemented into other services in Wilkes-Barre beyond the police.
As far as the actual collecting is concerned, Brown and the police department are encouraging officers and community members to engage with each other, and the cards are a convenient avenue to do so. Community events, such as the city's Fourth of July events in Kirby Park and the Fine Arts Fiesta, are organic opportunities for the public to ask officers for their cards.
To keep track of which cards have already been collected, checklists are available.
Sergeant Steven Lada said that the cards are a pleasant topic of conversation, and their implementation is a good reminder that police officers are there to support the community, despite the difficulty of their duties.
"Sometimes police officers have to do certain things, but we always want a child to be able to approach us," Lada said. "If they ever need help, we want them to know that they can come to us, whether it's to call 9-1-1 or come up to one of us and tell us they need help. We're thrilled to help."
Lada said that there is a simplicity to the cards. He added that he will keep his card going forward, even after he retires.
In the meantime, Lada suggested that the 2025 cards open up a number of additional community policing opportunities, such as trading card events at one of the sponsors that have helped bring the program to life.
"We have officers that want to associate with the community," said Lada. "They have a job to do, yeah, but they're always willing to put that extra effort to have a smile on their face and go see the kids. It's amazing to see, and I think that's where we're headed with this."
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