* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [Badges and Books 2023 ]
          [00:00:05]
          ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR EVENTS OF THE YEAR AT GRAND PRAIRIE'S MAIN LIBRARY WAS HIGHLIGHTED BY THE EXHILARATING ARRIVAL OF SOME VERY SPECIAL GUESTS. 
          DID YOUR HAIR GET BLOWN OFF? CRAZY , A CARE FLIGHT, EMS HELICOPTER AND ITS CREW MADE THEIR FIRST APPEARANCE EVER AT BADGES AND BOOKS, A FREE COMMUNITY EVENT SPONSORED BY THE CITY'S PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND THE GRAND PRAIRIE POLICE DEPARTMENT, INVITING PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TO ENJOY A BEAUTIFUL SATURDAY MORNING WHILE MEETING THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO PROTECT AND SERVE THEM IN SEVERAL WAYS. 
          IT'S ALSO A RARE OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS IT TO GET THEIR HANDS ON SOME OF THE VEHICLES, TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT THAT THE GPPD, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND ON THIS DAY, CAREF FLIGHT USE EVERY DAY TO DO THAT. 
          IT'S JUST A GREAT WAY FOR THE CITIZENS TO MEET OUR POLICE OFFICERS IN A NON-STRESSFUL SITUATION. 
          , THESE ARE REGULAR PEOPLE DOING EXTRAORDINARY JOBS AND WE WANT YOU TO GET TO MEET THEM, LEARN ABOUT WHAT THEY DO. 
          SO THE POLICE DO ALL KINDS OF GREAT STUFF THAT FRANKLY WE DON'T THINK PEOPLE GET TO HEAR ENOUGH ABOUT. 
          AND WHEN YOU'RE DEALING IN A CRISIS SITUATION, IT'S REALLY HARD TO RELATE TO EACH OTHER AS PEOPLE. 
          AND ALSO WE HOPE REMINDS OUR OFFICERS HOW DEEPLY APPRECIATED THEY ARE. 
          NOW IN ITS NINTH YEAR, BADGES AND BOOKS HAS PROVEN TO BE A FUN WAY TO IMPRESS UPON YOUNG MINDS THE IMPORTANCE OF READING AND EDUCATION, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PROMOTING A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND ITS PUBLIC SERVANTS. 
          BUT THEY GET A CHANCE TO COME OUT AND INTERACT WITH US. 
          UM, AND AS YOU CAN HEAR BEHIND ME, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE KIDDOS IN THE POLICE CARS. 
          THEY GET TO SEE THE DRONES, THE DOGS. 
          AND TODAY WE WERE ABLE TO LAND THE HELICOPTER, WHICH WAS A BIG EVENT. 
          AND IT WAS EXCITING FOR EVERYBODY, EVEN ME. 
          SO LOOK, WE'RE JUST LIKE THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. 
          LITERALLY, SOME OFFICERS GREW UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT SOME OF THESE PEOPLE COME FROM. 
          AND SO WE WANT THEM TO KNOW YOU CAN APPROACH THIS. 
          YOU CAN ASK US QUESTIONS. 
          WE GIVE HUGS AND STICKERS AND CANDY ALL THE TIME. 
          AND IF YOU'RE A FAN OF COMING TO BADGES AND BOOKS, I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THE CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY. 
          I TOOK IT. 
          THAT'S AN EVEN MORE INFORMATIVE WAY FOR YOU TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT A GREAT JOB OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES FOR ALL THINGS LIBRARY, INCLUDING UPCOMING EVENTS. 
          LOG ON TO GPTX.ORG/LIBRARY AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ANY OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S, COMMUNITY PROGRAMS OR SERVICES, LOG ONTO GRAND PRAIRIE POLICE.ORG.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.