The township police department hosted the first of two Cops and Bobbers events on June 11 at the lake behind the police station.
Kids and families braved the heat as they fished at different corners around the lake during the event’s two hours. Guests brought their own rods and chairs, and police had their own supply available.
“Our officers look forward to this every year,” said Police Chief Patrick Gurcsik. “This is probably our most popular outreach event. We host about 40 events a year. But Cops and Bobbers is definitely the most talked about and our most popular. It draws the most amount of people.”
There were already about 250 people in attendance in Cops and Bobbers’ first half hour, according to police estimates. Officers were on hand to talk about their work, fish with residents, cook barbecue and even stock the lake with fish before the event.
“There’s big mouth bass,” Gurcsik noted. “There’s a lot, a lot of sunnies (sunfish). There’s small fish that little kids like to catch. There’s also minnows and catfish. There’s something to catch for all ages.”
Kids were a major factor in planning the event. The police provided their own ice cream truck so they could cool off from the heat.
“We’re one of the only police departments in South Jersey with our own ice cream truck,” Gurcsik said. “After COVID, it was my idea. We used grant money and drug forfeiture money. It was no expense to the residents. It (Cops and Bobbers) is almost 100% a kids’ event. The parents come, too, obviously, and the officers like to fish and help the kids with the bait and tackle.”
Everything offered at Cops and Bobbers was free to the public and donated by event sponsors. For Gurcsik and the police department, the event spotlighted a mission statement the chief dubbed “community caretaking.”
“It’s our version of community policing,” he explained. “Our officers get to interact with the residents, and they get to interact with the kids.
“They get to see our police officers in a different light.”
Kids and their parents gather to fish during the Cops and Bobbers event on June 11 at the lake behind the police station.
Police officer Jeff Dinoto hands out ice cream to kids.
