CLINTONVILLE, Wis. (WFRV) – An event was held on June 3 that helped kids and officers realize that they are not so different after all.

‘Cops and Bobbers’, the event put on by members of the Clintonville Police Department and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, paired local officers with kids from our community to get to know each other and bond over fishing.

Clintonville Police Department got to go out on the water with kids from the community to learn to fish, enjoy the weather, and most importantly break down barriers between kids and police.

“The parents love it because they can get to know the police officers in their community and now I’m no longer the police officer image, I’m Officer Joe,” said Clintonville Police Department Officer, Joe Lebreck. “Some of (the kids) are better at fishing than the police officers.”

The event is funded through the Kids and Cops Foundation, a nonprofit based in Wisconsin, and was held at Pigeon Lake.

The Cops and Kids Foundation also supplied fishing poles, life jackets, shirts, hats, and food for the event.