Ocean Springs police offer fingerprinting, meet children at Smart Beginnings
Yesterday, officers with the Ocean Springs Police Department visited Smart Beginnings to meet parents and children and offer fingerprinting for youngsters, the department said in a Facebook post. The activity gave families a tool for child safety and allowed children to interact with officers in a positive setting.
The Ocean Springs Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency that serves the coastal Mississippi city and often conducts community outreach as part of its public safety work. Department officials say events like the Smart Beginnings visit are part of broader community-policing efforts intended to build trust between officers and residents.
Smart Beginnings is a community program that focuses on early childhood development and connecting families with local resources. Agencies and nonprofits frequently partner with local law enforcement at such events to provide safety information and practical services for parents and caregivers.
Offering fingerprints at community events gives families a biometric record they can keep for identification purposes and creates informal opportunities for officers and children to develop positive relationships, officials said. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
