As office manager of the Union Gospel Mission, Sharen Bergren said she's seen a lot of cops, and she liked what she saw of the Duluth Police Department's 11 newest recruits Thursday.
"They just have that air about them where they look like they know their police stuff, but it also looks like they have a lot of heart,'' Bergren said.
"To me, a good cop has got to have heart because they see so many problems out there. People sometimes don't need yelling. They don't need to go to jail. They need somebody to listen to their problem and help them. They need a cop with heart.''
Duluth police Investigator Joel Olejnicak, head instructor of the newly formed Duluth Police Academy, had his recruits serve lunch Thursday to some of the people they'll be serving as full-fledged police officers.
"I think this will show them the human side of some of the people that they may have to come in contact with,'' Olejnicak said."These people are all citizens of this community that we need to be serving on a daily basis, both good and bad.''
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Lunch eaters at the Union Gospel Mission on First Street, however, were not quick to express their appreciation for the recruits' gesture.
Few thanked the officers or even acknowledged the recruits who handed them a tray with a bowl of chili, salad, hard-boiled eggs, carrots and corn. Of a half-dozen diners questioned, one expressed his appreciation for the police recruits' service and the meal.
"I think they're [police] doing a wonderful job and I enjoyed the meal a lot,'' Ted Knauer said. "I think everything went smooth and I appreciate it. Usually in public safety you got to know the people that you are trying to protect, so it's good to know them.''
Olejnicak, a 10-year police officer, understood the reaction of many of the diners.
"They're not trying to be rude, but they recognize that we are cops and they are kind of standoffish,'' Olejnicak said. "As a cop dealing with people on a daily basis, most of the time we have contact with them that is not in a good way. So for cops to come in and do something for them in a nice way is kind of unexpected for them.''
Recruit Peng Lee, 28, from St. Paul, handed trays to diners with the greeting: "Ma'am, here's your meal,'' or "Sir, here's your meal.''
"This is a very good experience just to see what's going on here,'' Lee said. "Someone like me has never known any place like this exists. It's definitely eye-opening to see that there are people out there who need help like this.''
Recruit Jake Peterson, 21, a graduate of Two Harbors High School and the law enforcement program at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, also found his first trip to a soup kitchen to be enlightening.
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"It's an opportunity to meet a lot of the members of the Duluth community that I guess I normally wouldn't meet on a day-to-day occurrence,'' Peterson said. "They are certainly people in different situations, and members of a different socio-economic class. It's a great opportunity. ... It's an opportunity to genuinely help somebody that appreciates it and needs your help.''
