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PARKER, Colo. — The Parker Police Department’s third annual Cops and Bobbers event hoped to hook kids on fishing and allow them to interact with police in a positive environment.

About 150 kids and their families joined police for the event Saturday morning at Meridian Pond.

Police and the event’s sponsors gave the kids just about everything they needed to throw out a line.

“I think this event is great. [It] gets the kids out interacting with the cops,” said James Henderson, who was fishing with his son Andrew.

Andrew had only caught a fish once before and was casting for one of the rainbow trout stocked in the pond.

Decades ago, Parker police had a similar family fishing event in which Officer Brian Stilen participated.

“I grew up fishing,” Officer Stilen told FOX31. “I grew up doing this every summer. So, if I can push it back to this kids and get them learning to do something like this, it’s awesome. It’s a rewarding feeling.”