BPD helps girl achieve her goal of hugging an officer in every state

Nearly 50 people gathered in front of Creekside Community Center in September, including Bloomington Police, City staff and community members, to welcome a family that had driven more than 1,100 miles to be there. Rosalyn, who’s 12 years old, her mother Angie, and brother Phillip have a goal to hug a cop in every state. So far, they’ve been to 41, including Minnesota.

“I’m here to show affection for officers and show our appreciation for them,” Rosalyn said. “Sometime in 2017, I heard about a shooting near where I lived. When I heard about that, I had an ache in my heart. I wanted to show love for our communities.”

Why did they choose Bloomington? Because so many people had reached out to them to spread the word about the positive things they’ve seen Bloomington Police doing in the community, according to Angie.

“There are hundreds of cities in Minnesota and she chose Bloomington,” Sergeant Erik Norling said. “I’ve seen friends leave law enforcement the last couple years. It’s been challenging. She’s keeping officers getting up and going to their jobs every day with what she’s doing. When you see support like that you think, ‘You know what, I need to continue to ensure my community is safe, support my community and do my job.’”