Iowa City police to bake cookies, converse with area youth

IOWA CITY - Iowa City police officers are to meet with minority youths at South East Junior High next week for conversation and cookies.

Officers plan to visit with G! World - a mentoring program for minority girls, ages 12-18 - from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7. The officers were invited to answer questions, provide feedback and bake and decorate cookies with the students. Some of the cookies are to be donated to the Ronald McDonald House.

G! World, which strives to help junior and senior high school students develop social skills and do service projects, is a collaboration between the Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County and Johnson County Social Services. RaQuishia Harrington, site director for the Broadway Neighborhood Center, said the event aims to show officers care about the youth of the community.

'I think this activity is just one way to have non-enforcement, community engagement activities in order to build and maintain lasting relationships and develop trust,” Harrington said. 'This will be one of several opportunities for students and officers to engage in guided conversations in a safe space.”