If you’ve spent any amount of time wandering the streets of Celina, chances are you’ve seen someone wearing a cowboy hat. The modern-day cowboy hat was designed in the 1860s by Stetson, and has become a staple of the Americana culture. Here in Celina, it’s another way for us to stay connected with our heritage, and give a nod to the community and residents that helped establish and build our city.
We are proud to announce that the Celina Community Police Foundation has been working with the officers of the Celina Police Department to roll out standard-issue cowboy hats to the department. Soon, you’ll be seeing a lot more cowboy hats around town.
“It’s really a nod to Celina’s heritage; as we grow, we want to be sure we keep those connections,” says Mathew Eberius, the Foundation’s President; “the mission of the Foundation is to build relationships between our citizens and the law enforcement community. When an officer walks up wearing a cowboy hat and a smile, they’re more approachable, and it helps jump start conversations with people. It’s also very practical given the climate.”
To kick off the program, the Foundation sponsored the rollout of the first order of hats, which totaled over $2000. Initially, thirteen officers and two VIPS, or members of the police volunteer program, will be outfitted with straw hats for the remainder of the warm weather season.
The reactions have also been seen on Facebook in recent weeks, as several officers have begun wearing their issued hats – including officers stationed at Celina ISD schools. “We posted something about cowboy hats and what people thought of them, without giving away what we were working on – and the reactions were all positive. It was a great look for the officers and we knew it was something the community would embrace. A few people that were new to Celina said it was awesome seeing the officers in their cowboy hats outside the schools,” says Eberius.
The Foundation Board has already been contacted by several well-known Celina residents who want to see the program continue, with the goal of outfitting every Celina police officer with two hats – a straw hat for warm weather and a felt hat for colder weather.
For more information on the Foundation or to make a tax-deductible contribution, please visit CelinaPoliceFoundation.org. The Celina Community Police Foundation is a volunteer-managed 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to supporting, enhancing and funding community policing programs in the greater Celina community.
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