
DATE: Sunday, May 11, 1997                  TAG: 9705090211

SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS     PAGE: 04   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JANIE BRYANT, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   46 lines

MINISTRY DONATES TEDDY BEARS TO CITY POLICE

Portsmouth's police officers have been paired with bears, thanks to eight churches in the Olive Branch Cooperative Christian Ministry.

The churches donated about 60 teddy bears to the police department so that each officer can have one on hand in cases of accidents or serious incidents where children are present and in need of comfort.

``It's friendly, and it's something most children are not going to be afraid of, as opposed to a person,'' said police spokeswoman Amber Whittaker.

``Many kids are scared to death of police officers, and we just want to help them,'' she said.

The ministry plans to replace the bears as they are used.

Already, Whittaker said, she has received notes from two officers.

One bear was given to a 4-year-old girl who had just seen her mother assaulted.

A second officer gave a bear to another 4-year-old who had wandered off and become lost.

``He was hugging the bear and smiling when people picked him up and took him where he belonged,'' Whittaker said.

Frances Wells, a member of West Side Christian Church and president of the coalition, said she got the idea for the bear project from a magazine.

Wells said the churches took up a collection for the bears at their annual joint Good Friday service, and Wal-Mart gave the churches a special discount.

The churches involved include:

Community United Methodist.

First Friends Evangelical.

Holy Communion Lutheran.

Pinecrest Baptist.

Simonsdale Presbyterian.

St. Andrews United Methodist.

United Church of Christ.

West Side Christian (Disciples of Christ). ILLUSTRATION: Photo by JIM WALKER

Amber Whittaker of the police department, left, checks out one of

the bears with Frances Wells, president of the Olive Branch

Cooperative Christian Ministry, center, and police chaplain Tom