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Robot dressed in officer's uniform.
A robot dressed in an officer's uniform that children tell their secrets.
Kids share secrets with robot
by Jan Richrds
Brad stands for Brave Robot Against Drugs, a name children of Tewksbury Massachusetts, gave him. The youngsters nominated five names each, then voted for one. When officer Brad was named, 2000 children showed up for the drawing.
The body, wireless, is made of fiberglass and stands five feet tall. It is equipped with a special wheel chassis , computer chips, two AM-FM cassette players, VCR camera, TV monitor, and an arm that toes up and down, while the other remains stationary and holding a traffic control signal. Children see themselves in the monitor when they are speaking to Officer Brad.
Officer Brad goes everywhere in the state and talks about drugs, alcohol, seat belts, bike safety, wearing helmets, crossing streets, roller blade safety, molesters of children and strangers. The robot a favorite teaching device among children serves another important function. Children a re willing to tell him about abusive acts that embarrass or scare them.
Officer Brad is used to talk to a child sexually molested. Children feel Officer Brad is their friend. They tend to speak more freely to him then they would an officer.
Officer also encourages youngsters to stay a way from Cigarettes and to talk with their parents a bout kicking the habit if their parents smoke. He tells children about health hazards many smokers face.
Officer Brad wears a shoulder patch from the Dare Officer’s Association and is painted dark blue like a policeman’s uniform, with a black belt. Because he is a Dare officer, whose main function is children, he doesn’t carry a gun. His purpose is education not crime.
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