Washougal police officers are hoping a little kindness will go a long way.
The Washougal Police Department has partnered with Kindness 911, a Clark County nonprofit that connects local law enforcement and fire agencies with the people that they serve.
“I’m so thrilled to now be part of the Washougal community,” Kindness 911 founder and chief executive officer Jason Hattrick told the Washougal City Council during the Council’s virtual meeting on Feb. 14. “We are very excited to have (Washougal) as our newest Kindness 911 agency.”
The Kindness 911 events will become part of the city’s “more extensive community engagement portfolio” managed by Rose Jewell, according to Washougal Police Chief Wendi Steinbronn.
“Everyone in the community could use a little more kindness,” Jewell said. “We are fortunate to live in a community that embraces acts of kindness and supports the good efforts of our first responders and citizens. Kindness 911 provides a program to help our first responders make positive connections with our citizens and promote healthy relationships.”
Washougal police will join the Ridgefield, Vancouver, Gresham (Oregon) and Cowlitz Tribal police departments, as well as the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and Clark County Fire District 6, as Kindness 911 affiliates. Soon, the Washougal officers will be issuing kindness citations to citizens they “catch” in a kind act of goodwill.
Participating officers recognize individuals and groups for their “genuine, positive impact on their community” by issuing “kindness citations,” according to Hattrick.
The organization also makes yearly $500 donations to charities chosen by its participating agencies.
The organization has also elicited praise for its ability to improve the mental state of its participating officers, according to Hattrick.
“(Officers have) rough days, and when they come to a ‘kindness sting,’ they always say, ‘I needed that today’ when they leave,” he said. “We’re bolstering them up and giving them something positive within their day as well.”
Six Washougal officers participated in a “kindness training” on Feb. 10. The remaining officers received training on Feb. 22, Steinbronn said.
“(The community can) expect to see those ‘kindness citations’ issued soon,” the police chief added.
