LYNNWOOD – A dozen skateboards came to a halt when the police car rolled up to the Lynndale Skate Park on Friday.
The frowns of a few wary boarders melted as Joe Cotton and Linda Fendell hopped out of the car, popped the trunk and started handing out cold cans of Dr. Pepper and Pespi.
“I love the cops,” Tristan Gordon, 15 said, grabbing a soda.
It is just the kind of welcome Cotton and Fendell want as they cruise the local youth hangouts as part of a new program with the Lynnwood Police Department’s citizen patrol.
The citizen patrol, started in 1997, has about 70 volunteers who assist police with things such as traffic control, enforcing disabled parking laws or vehicle lockouts.
There are about 5,000 citizen patrols nationwide, with about 75,000 people volunteering at police departments.
The members of Lynnwood’s program distinguish it from other programs around the country, said Art Femister, president and founder of California-based National Association of Citizens on Patrol.
“A lot of groups are staffed by seniors,” he said. “Lynnwood is well-rounded compared to others.”
The new youth patrol also is unique to anything else being done in the country, he said.
“I applaud what they’re doing,” he said.
Officers don’t always have the chance to have a positive interaction with kids, patrol coordinator Trudy Dana said.
“Our biggest goal is to bridge the gap between the police community and youth community,” Cotton said. “Our officers do a great job but they’re very busy and don’t always have the time to devote to connecting with kids.”
Since July, Cotton and Fendell have been meeting dozens and dozens of kids on Friday and Saturday nights.
They stop along the streets to hand out stickers or a cold soda. They hang out with the boarders at the skate park. Cotton and Fendell even strap on roller skates at the roller rink as a way to reach out.
“We want to be a consistent adult who can model for them if they need it,” Fendell said.
It’s too early to tell if the patrol is reducing crime at the youth hangouts, Dana said.
Last year, there were about 10 juvenile-related crimes at the skate park and roller rink, according to police records.
Cotton and Fendell say they aren’t there to police the kids though.
“We’re not patrolling for trouble. We’re looking for what’s going right,” said Cotton, a youth counselor.
The young people are slightly anxious about the duo, who drive a community patrol car and wear policelike uniforms.
A quick chat about music or Cotton doing the “funky chicken” dance on skates lightens the mood.
“They’re fun and really nice. They don’t do anything like police,” said Britney Galindez, 13.
The kids at the skate rink are growing to expect the pair Friday nights.
“I don’t hear anything bad about them,” said Roll A Way manager Matt Peterson. “I think the kids are pretty respectful and I think they calm down a bit when they’re here.”
Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.
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