March 16--Members of the Macon Moose Lodge donated five dozen "Tommy Moose" stuffed animals to Macon police Thursday for officers to give to young crime victims.
Moose lodge member Van Johnson said the donation is part of the "Tommy on Patrol" program which aims to put a stuffed moose in every patrol car.
Lt. Amy Wheeler said officers, in their uniforms, can seem intimidating to children.
"We're not the enemy. We're there to help them," she said. "This will go a long way in helping us accomplish that mission."
Moose lodge members also distribute Tommy Moose stuffed animals to other law enforcement agencies, fire departments and ambulance crews, said Austin Riley, a Macon police fatality investigator and Warner Robins Moose Lodge member.
Riley said he's been involved in the Tommy Moose program for about three years and has seen the impact the stuffed toys can make on children involved in traumatic situations.
"It just calms a child's mind and takes their mind off the incident that just occurred," he said. "You all of a sudden see that child's eyes light up."
The toys, made the right size for hugging, preoccupy children so a parent can talk with police or receive needed medical treatment.
"You can't tear that thing out of a child's hands," Riley said.
Copyright 2012 - The Macon Telegraph, Ga.
