Great Outdoors: DPD Hosts Take a Kid Fishing

DULUTH, Minn. – “We’re exposing some kids to outdoor experiences that might never get that opportunity. So, hopefully each one of these kids who does this gets a new appreciation for being outside,” Duluth Police Department Sergeant, Mike Lafontaine says.

The Duluth Police Department is putting on their Take a Kid Fishing program once again this summer. Every Tuesday the DPD takes a group of kids fishing out on Lake Superior as a way to show the youth another side of law enforcement.

“Getting together with people and seeing us in a different light. You know a lot of times we see kids in an official light you know my SROs see them in an educational light and a lot of times kids see us in our official capacity too and sometimes those are in not so good dynamics. And so, this just humanizes us together,” said Lafontaine.

“Gets them used to seeing them comfortable, the more they visit the more they know them, just vice versa too,” Valley Youth Center Program Coordinator, Sam Scott says.

The DPD takes out groups like the Valley Youth Center, as many of the members may not get the opportunity to be out on the lake on a regular basis.

“A lot of these kids, they all fish but they have no one to take them or just busy with life so anytime we can get them out and just doing something else beside just chilling, it’s fine. I can guarantee this will be one, maybe the only time they go on Lake Superior in their whole life so they’ll soak this up and remember it the rest of their lives,” said Scott.

The program will continue to take place on Tuesdays throughout the summer, featuring a new group of youth every week.

“You bring kids out here and they have an expectation that there’s going to be some fish catching because that’s the idea, and so helping him reel that in and see what kind of fish it was a small one and seeing his excitement is really what it’s all about,” said Lafontaine.