Suffolk County Police Officer Justin Fernandez from the Community Relations Bureau visited East Islip second-grade classes at Timber Point Elementary School on Jan. 16 and Connetquot Elementary School on Jan. 23 to introduce himself and teach students about safety. He spoke warmly with the children, explained his role in the community and led interactive discussions on how to stay safe at school, at home and when crossing streets. Through age-appropriate examples and friendly demonstrations, Officer Fernandez helped students identify trusted adults, practice safe behaviors and feel comfortable asking for help when needed.

“A lot of times, kids only see police when something bad is happening, even though the police are there for good reasons, and that’s where I come in,” Officer Fernandez told the students. “My job is to go into the community to build relationships, so people can feel comfortable and trust the police. If you pay attention to your teachers,  your parents and police officers, if you listen to what they have to say, you can use that information to stay safe.”