New Middletown DARE Officer Jacqueline Welch meets the community

MIDDLETOWN - Children and their parents lined up to meet the Middletown Police Department’s new DARE Officer Jacqueline Welch during the bicycle rodeo and child car seat safety inspection Saturday at Davidge Park.

The police department, in conjunction with Orange Regional Medical Center and Mobile Life Support Services, hosted the event in which bicycle helmets were distributed to children as part of the rodeo. The rodeo also featured bicycle inspections and a safety course. New child car seats were also given out to parents if their previous seat did not meet current standards.

Welch graduated this month from the DARE training program in New Jersey. She will begin teaching DARE to Middletown City Schools this fall. She met children and their parents handing out DARE stickers and safety information.

“Making the community safer does not always come from making arrests,” said Lt Paul Rickard. “This event allows officers to meet members of the community. In conjunction with our public safety partners we were able to offer bicycle helmets and car seats which undoubtedly will make children safer. This is why our community policing unit is so important to us. Effective community policing makes the community a better place to live.”