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By DANIEL LOCKE | Staff Writer

HELENA – In conjunction with the Helena Library’s Summer Reading program, the Police Department hosted an open house, giving the city’s youth an opportunity to interact with officers and learn more about what they do.

Strengthening the bond between children and the officers was an important part of the event for Library Director Dan Dearing.

“Learning about the Police Department is very important to having a safe community,” Dearing said. “Getting an inside look at what they do and who they are in a safe, controlled atmosphere builds an understanding of what they do.”

Officer Jeff Murphy, who serves as the School Resource Officer for Helena Intermediate School, led the open house. Murphy filled the visitors in on all the situations the police can help with as well as the equipment officers have on them at all times and even gave them a tour of a police car.

“It’s very important (for the police to visit with children in a safe setting),” Murphy said. “Being able to interact with the community, especially the younger ones in the community, let them know that we’re their friends, we’re here to help them if they ever need help. If they get lost, or there is some kind of problem at home, they know we’re just normal people who want to help people.”

Putting on events like this is one of the most rewarding parts of Murphy’s job. Showing off the different equipment the department is outfitted with never gets old for him.

“It’s 100 percent cool,” Murphy said. “It’s one of the better things in law enforcement, being able to showcase what we do for the community, being able to personalize with people and show them the cool stuff that we have and the stuff that we have in the community to help them out and serve them better.”

The Police Department enjoys working with the Library to help inform local youth of the importance of public safety and the resources available to help them.

“The Library has done this for several year,” Murphy said. “They get the fire department and the police department involved to kind of give an incentive to kids to read books and come out and visit the Library and interact with our public safety people.”

The Library’s proximity to the Police Department helps make events like these possible and allows for simple collaboration. Dearing is appreciative of everything the two organizations have accomplished together over the years.

“The Library is fortunate to be located next door to the Helena Police Department,” Dearing said. “Over the years, the officers, support staff and leadership have assisted the library in many ways. We look forward to and appreciate the program they provide each year, and hopefully, it will inspire young people in Helena to volunteer or even consider law enforcement as a career someday.”

When different city departments come together for the benefit of educating children, good things are able to happen. That is what Dearing and Murphy were hoping to achieve with the open house.