Roselle police hope reading will help kids

Sometimes it takes more than a badge to convince children the bad guys are gone.

Starting this week Roselle police have a new tool to help calm children in crisis situations, such as car accidents or domestic violence calls.

Police have joined forces with the not-for-profit group, With Wings and a Halo, to participate in the organization's REACH program, which stands for Reading Enjoyment Affects Childhood Happiness.

As part of the program, each Roselle squad car is now equipped with packets containing up to 15 children's books that will be distributed when a child or teen is present during a police incident. Each child gets to keep one book and the books are grouped according to age brackets.

Roselle public information Sgt. John Lawson said the program is similar to another formerly in place with the department that allowed officers to give children teddy bears they could hold at the scene.

But the new program could be more helpful, Lawson said, because children can keep the book and examine its message again and again.

"When I was on the road, the teddy bear program came in very handy, especially in traffic crashes," Lawson said. "But as soon as you leave, the incident is still going to be there. And with the book program, this is something they can keep forever. I could see this being a little more effective."

The program began in Wisconsin about a year ago and came to Illinois in April. Since then, With Wings and a Halo has distributed more than 60,000 books throughout the state. Lawson said police departments in Schaumburg and Itasca also have adopted REACH.

Because all of the books are donated, the program will not cost Roselle taxpayers. For details on how to get involved or donate, visit the Web site withwingsandahalo.org.