Not all interactions with police officers in America are negative — and for a group of students philadelphia” target=”_blank”>in Philadelphia<
But it’s the type of positive experience that isn’t often talked about or covered.
In a phone interview with Fox News Digital this week, Officer Brady said this wasn’t the first time he’s made a point of stopping during his break to have a positive interaction with kids in the community.
“If I’m going to trim half of my lunch [period] to go meet a kid, have a great interaction — and someday one kid won’t think twice about actually telling a cop when they need help or are just asking a question — then I did my job,” he said.
Officer Brady said the positive police exposure is good for the kids in this particular part of town.
POLICE OFFICER ADOPTS KITTEN RESCUED FROM CAR ENGINE COMPARTMENT IN NEW YORK
He says he tends to patrol the lower-income housing areas of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Police Officer John Brady is seen tossing a football with school kids while on his break one day this week. (Fox News Digital)
“We have a joke in the police department that says if you want to be liked, you should’ve been a fireman. Everybody loves a fireman, right?” he said.
“Cops are only there when they’re needed — but they don’t realize that we’re there for a reason.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
Brady said he’s been a police officer for 23 years.
He said that every time he gets a chance to leave a good impression on a kid — he tries to do so.
“I have conversations about what they [the kids] want to do,” he said.
“Whether they want to be an architect or a doctor, a cop or a fireman, or if they want to be a pro athlete — I just have a catch-up with them.”
Taking a few minutes out of the day to leave a good impression on a child is something Brady says he will always continue to do.
Brady works in the sixth district of Philadelphia, where crime is rampant.
He said that many times, young kids will only interact with police officers when there’s a crime situation.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Taking a few minutes out of the day to leave a good impression on a child is something Brady says he will always continue to do.
