Officer Zach Pricer of the Huntington Beach, CA Police Department gives us yet another example of the discernment and creativity involved with being a good police officer.
When Huntington Beach police officers came across a woman living out of a car with her 11-year old daughter, Officer Pricer used a game of hopscotch to make the child feel at ease.
The video shows Officer Pricer explaining the game, skipping and jumping on the sidewalk, making the girl laugh.
Officer Pricer, who is a 13-year veteran of the force, said he used the game as a tool to learn more about the welfare of the child.
“For an 11-year-old girl, to see a police officer towering over her is a scary thing,” Officer Pricer said. “I was trying to break the ice and get her to feel more comfortable with me.”
Huntington Beach Police spokeswoman Jennifer Marlatt added, “It distracted her from an adult problem.”
During the hopscotch game, another officer contacted the Huntington Beach homeless task force in order to arrange housing for the mother and daughter. The family was able to be supported in numerous ways thanks to these caring police officers.
