The police in Northampton, Massachusetts, had their hearts in the right place, but apparently a few parents of elementary school kids weren't impressed. It only took a couple of parents to bring the "High-5 Friday" program for students, which was started by the Northampton Police Department, to an abrupt stop.

What better way for kids to learn that police officers are their friends than to have them mingle with the kids on a frequent basis? Kids getting to know their local law enforcement will grow up thinking of cops in a much better light than they would if police officers are seen as unapproachable.

Kids loved it

Back in December, the Northampton Police Department started the "High-5 Friday" program, but it was only after they got the go-ahead from the teachers, principals, staff, parents and the students. It was met with much excitement and it seemed that everyone was on board with the "High-5 Friday" program.

Officers would go to the local elementary schools and meet the kids arriving to school. They would high-five the kids and even "sneak in a little playground time" with the students before school, according to Newsline.

Program was a success

The Northampton Police Department first announced that the program was starting on their Facebook. They also sent out tweets offering updates, like the one below.

This one was sent out after their first "High-5 Friday" and as you can see it was a success.

A parent of one of the students in Northampton was on "Fox and Friends" Thursday morning to talk about her son's disappointment after he learned that "High-5 Friday" was disbanded.

This mom said her son and the other children enjoyed this program and that the kids actually looked forward to it.

Abrupt stop

The Northampton Police Department announced that the program was stopped. They also said how they've seen a lot of support for the program coming from the social media sites, but some concerns also cropped up.

Scaring kids?

It appears that some "kids might respond negatively to a group of uniformed officers at their school." These concerns specifically mentioned how "kids of color, undocumented children, or any children who may have had negative experiences with the police," may feel uncomfortable.

Police still welcome interaction

The police ended their posts saying that if you see any of them out on the street and want "high-fives, low fives, and first bumps," feel free to ask. The department said it will explore alternative ways to "positively engage with the people in the community," with their focus on the kids.

One might think that this program would do the opposite for kids who fear police, or who feel uncomfortable in their presence.

It would give them a chance to see that the police are their friends. Instead of growing up with a negative outlook on law enforcement, this "High-5 Friday" would have gone a long way toward mending those bridges. Is this just another outcome from the push on politically correctness in this nation?
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