Park students treated to 'Lunch with a Cop’

Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister eats lunch with a group of Park Middle School students.

It’s never easy being the new kid at lunch, but members of the Lincoln Police Department quickly made friends at Park Middle School on Tuesday.

Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister and several of his officers ate lunch and chatted with students as part of a new initiative called “Lunch with a Cop.” Officers recently made a similar stop at Scott Middle School and are in the process of lining up their next visit. The police department sees it as a common-sense approach to build and strengthen relationships within Lincoln Public Schools.

“I truly believe that our presence at the schools improves the lines of communication and makes it part of the everyday routine for students,” said Bliemeister, who chose the spicy chicken sandwich from Tuesday’s menu. “The students learn they can trust the officers and they become a positive influence in their lives along with parents, teachers and administrators. Everyone is working together to make a difference.”

LPS Director of Security Joe Wright is a former captain with the police department and recalls the positive impact it had on other students when he visited his son’s school to eat lunch.

“Anytime we can get police officers in the schools it's a good thing,” Wright said. “It normalizes them for our students, as opposed to them only seeing officers during a time of crisis.”


Published: April 4, 2018, Updated: April 4, 2018

"The students learn they can trust the officers and they become a positive influence in their lives along with parents, teachers and administrators. Everyone is working together to make a difference."

Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister