Park Ridge kids collect cop cards for contest

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Community Strategies Officer Julie Genualdi holds a police-officer trading card, which the Park Ridge Police Department is issuing this summer as part of a program to make officers seem more approachable to youths. | Jennifer Johnson~Sun-Times Media

Updated: October 26, 2011 1:13AM

Instead of local youths vying to get their hands on baseball cards with the likes of Roberto Alomar or Ken Griffey Jr., the Park Ridge Police Department is hoping they would rather add an Officer Tony Raitano or maybe a Lt. Bob Hanson to their collection this summer.

The department is launching a trading-card contest featuring 55 sworn officers of the department. Trading cards, which look like the average baseball card, have been printed for each officer. On the front there is a photo of the officer or the officer’s police equipment, and on the back are “stats” or biographical information about the officer.

Through Nov. 1 youths ages 12 and younger are encouraged to collect as many trading cards as they can by requesting them directly from the officers. The child with the most cards at the end of the contest will be eligible for a prize. The type of prize has not yet been announced.

Community Strategies Officer Julie Genualdi developed the trading cards at the request of Police Chief Frank Kaminski. Genualdi said that while many police departments issue trading cards to their officers, very few have contests that involve community participation.

The program has been in the development stage since January, Genualdi said.

The goal of the trading-card program is to make children feel more comfortable approaching police officers, she said.

Some officers seem to be having fun with the contest.

“My card’s going to be hard to get,” Raitano joked.

Children can request trading cards from officers when they see them in the community, but for safety reasons are advised not to approach an officer when he or she is in the process of official duties, like a traffic stop.

For more information about the contest call the Park Ridge Police Department, (847) 318-5252.