Cops want fidget spinners to help them connect with community

The 1980s saw shopping shelves empty supplies of Cabbage Patch Dolls and Rubik’s Cubes. Tickle Me Elmo swept the nation in the late 1990s and in 2017 fidget spinners are all the craze.

The Bradenton Police Department is looking to take advantage of the latest toy craze and wants to spend $2,000 of forfeiture funds to put as many as 1,000 fidget spinners with the BPD logo into the community.

According to a BPD inter-office memorandum on Wednesday’s city council consent agenda, the three-pronged spinning toys, “have become a popular toy and have been advertised as a way for students to focus nervous energy.”

The memo addressed to Police Chief Melanie Bevan states the fidget spinners will be used as both a fundraiser to support the department’s Explorer Program and as a community outreach tool.

“All proceeds from the sale of the fidget spinners will be used to to support the needs of the Explorer Program. Some of the costs associated with the Explorer Program include competitions, training and equipment,” the memo states.

The fidget spinners will also be used as a promotional item for the police department, “as we continue to partner with our residents. During upcoming community events, fidget spinners may be given away to attendees. Interacting with students and creating a positive experience is a key goal of any community policing program.”

This story was originally published June 27, 2017 at 10:17 AM with the headline "Cops want fidget spinners to help them connect with community."