MILWAUKEE — Law enforcement officers and Milwaukee County residents came together at Pulaski Park for a "Brat with a Cop" event, sharing food, playing games, and building relationships outside of emergencies.
The event, organized to foster trust between officers and the communities they serve, drew families, children, community leaders, and law enforcement to a park that has recently seen violence.
Watch: 'Brat with a Cop' event at Pulaski Park aims to build trust between officers and community
James Burnett of the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office said the goal goes beyond a single afternoon.
"Community engagement is a proven strategy for crime reduction. When members of the community get to know the men and women who serve in uniform... relationships improve. When relationships improve, communication works better both ways," Burnett said.
Organizers say trust is not built during a crisis — it is built through small moments like these.
"I most enjoy talking to people... connecting with residents who live adjacent to these parks and picking their brains and finding out from them what do you like, what do you not like, what stresses you out, what keeps you up at night?" Burnett said.
Burnett said he also values what those conversations give back.
"It reminds me of your humanity that you're really no different than I am and it makes me that much more comfortable talking to you," Burnett said.
For community leaders, the event is an opportunity to shift perceptions of law enforcement.
"We've got law enforcement here, we've got community organizers here, we have the community here... everyone's having a great time. No one's even thinking of anything negative," said Pastor Marty Calderon of Promise Keepers Team Unified.
Calderon said the atmosphere speaks for itself.
"The little kids watching the little kids run around, they don't care, they're enjoying themselves... they're just having a good time," Calderon said.
"You look at this, there's nothing you can say anything's negative. It's all positive right here, and that's what we strive for," Calderon said.
For many children at the event, their first conversation with an officer happened not during an emergency, but over a hot dog and a game.
Bob Kramer of the Cops and Kids Foundation said that the shift in context matters.
"Sometimes the only interaction people have is if you're pulled over for a traffic violation, and the kids see a lot of that negative. So I try and focus a lot on the kids' programs," Kramer said.
"My favorite part is the smiles on the faces, the kids, and actually the interaction," Kramer said.
"They forget they're standing there with a police officer. It's just a conversation they're having with another person," Kramer said.
Burnett said he hopes young people leave with a lasting impression.
"I hope the young people take away from this that these are people I can trust. These are people that I can look to to help make this space safer," Burnett said.
Organizers say "Brat with a Cop" events will continue throughout the summer at parks across Milwaukee County.
The next "Brat with a Cop" will be held at 4 p.m. July 1 at Dineen Park.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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