Kentucky State Police are working to ensure the livelihood of a program devoted to helping children caught in the middle of frightening circumstances feel a little bit of comfort.
The Trooper Teddy program, implemented in 1989, provides teddy bears to children in distress. Police give bears to children involved in any kind of crisis, such as a car accident, exposure to drugs or those who are present when their parents or guardians are arrested. The program, according to KSP, is designed to establish trust between the trooper and child and reduce stress to the child during a traumatic event. Bears are distributed to each KSP post, CVE region and Electronic Crimes branch.
Budgetary restrictions eliminated state funding for the program some years ago, according to KSP, though private donations and asset forfeiture funds have helped to sustain the initiative. KSP has expanded the effort to the public, as well. According to KSP, bears purchased from private donations will be available for purchase by the public. All proceeds will go toward buying more bears so the program can financially sustain itself.
The public can purchase bears on ebay for a “buy it now” price $20 each. All proceeds go toward purchasing more Trooper Teddy bears.