RUMFORD – Better police rapport with children is one of patrolman Douglas Maifeld’s goals.

That’s why he organized and led the push for Cop Cards – police trading cards that are similar to those of sports athletes.

“I wanted to be a cop all my life since I was 6 years old, but I was very intimidated by them as a kid,” Maifeld said. “I know a lot of kids are intimidated by police and I don’t want them to be intimidated. I want good positive interaction.”

As a child, Maifeld said he was a baseball card collector. Now he collects police trading cards, and said he has amassed a collection of 11,500 cop cards from law enforcement agencies all over the United States, Canada and the world.

“To me, it’s neat, because I’ve got seven to eight cards of guys I went to the (criminal justice) academy with. And instead of having a cheap business card, I hand out my police card,” he added.

After looking at South Portland police trading cards, and talking with Maine Bureau of Highway Safety officials, Maifeld said he sold police Chief Timothy Bourassa on getting cards of Rumford officers as a way to improve their rapport with children.

“When we greet kids and give them a card, it has our picture on them, and on the back, a good, positive safety message,” he said.

The first trading cards, which were made for the department’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, were a hit with local youth.

“We saw a lot of good, positive things come out of it,” Maifeld said.

That’s when he went to highway safety officials again, got a grant to cover the next printing, and picked up a sponsor in the Pepsi-Cola vendor in Peru. The vendor paid what the grant didn’t.

Cards from the second printing were handed out at police fund-raisers. A newspaper started running a Cop-of-the-Week column based on the cards, Maifeld said.

“It worked great, so we went to a second series, and now, this third add-on series, because officer Paul Casey was constantly getting kids coming up to him and asking him for cards,” he said.

Casey started with the department in March 2003, as did his twin brother Peter.

This time, however, community business sponsors – not grants – picked up the tab for the printing, which includes Rumford’s newest officers.

“It’s good, positive public relations for us, and it’s cheap advertising for the businesses,” he said.

If children want a card or more, all they have to do is ask.

Maifeld said he still has cards of officers who have left the department, including Eric DeWitt, who left this month, and Michael Halacy, who gets done in early January.

Cards from previous sets are also still available.

“We have even had good positive remarks about the cards from parents. They think it’s cool. And that’s what I want their kids to think, because I want to see kids wave at me with all fingers on their hand, not just one finger,” Maifeld added.

Copy the Story Link