Fort Worth police give 6-year-old a sneak peek at his dream job
FORT WORTH — A 6-year-old in Fort Worth knows what he wants to be when he grows up — and he got a chance to try the job out.
A few weeks ago, Bryson's mom took him to a Reading with a Cop event, where he met Fort Worth Police Department Deputy Chief Buck Wheeler, who learned about Bryson's ambitions of becoming a police officer.
"Bryson's focused, he's motivated, and he knows what he's looking for," Wheeler said. "Unfortunately, he's not old enough to be a cop."
The department was impressed by Bryson's enthusiasm and invited the family to tour the station for a hands-on experience.
"He got to meet the chief, he got to do some training, [and] he got to meet a real swat officer," Wheeler said.
It was a memorable day for Bryson, but for Wheeler and the Fort Worth PD, it's about more than just fun.
"Those relationships that we create with the community, those relationships we create with our youth in the city, those are how we actually solve and fix those things that cause a lot of the problems," Wheeler said.
"Once they know you, they watch out for you and the community," Bryson's mom, Stacy, said.
Wheeler believes that building connections like the one with Bryson and his family helps police do their jobs and contributes to community safety.
"These happen every day on patrol," he said. "The officers that are out there working, the men and women that are out there doing that, there are interactions that folks will probably never hear about, but they're affecting those families and having those opportunities."