The ‘Chatham-Kent Coordinating Committee to End Violence Against Women’ recently donated teddy bears to the Chatham-Kent Police Service.
These teddy bears will be placed in cruisers and given to children who have been affected by domestic violence, police official say.
“Intimate partner abuse has a profound effect on children witnessing the abuse in their home,” stated Kristine Holland, coordinator for the ‘Chatham-Kent Coordinating Committee to End Violence Against Women’ group said in a media release.
“The coordinating committee understands the importance of police intervention in order to interrupt the cyclical patterns of abuse and violence within the family. The teddy bears will provide some additional support and comfort to our youngest vulnerable population.”
Constable Kelly Helbin, the intimate partner violence coordinator for the Chatham-Kent Police Service, added: “We (police officers) do what we can to ease a child’s discomfort in an unfavorable situation. It is our hope that by offering teddy bears, we can alleviate fear, as well as break down any barriers between police and children.”
