Early Christmas gift at Midtown Elementary has SRO riding around on “trike”

MADISON – If you saw a police officer riding an adult-sized “trike” on Thursday at Midtown Elementary and firing an air-powered “candy cannon” for kids to scramble and grab, it’s all good. The 3-wheeler is part of a new approach to make its SRO more relatable to kids.

School Resource Officer Shane Kyker suggested one after reading how police “trikes” put officers on eye level with kids and more like one of them.

The Midtown PTA and local members of the ASIS international private security group banded together for the $700 purchase.

Officer Kyker made his debut before the kids today, riding the “trike” around the school’s track and stopping to fire candy into the air with a toy cannon.

Madison City Schools Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols, Assistant Principal Eric Terrell, Board of Education member Alice Lessmann, Midtown PTA officers and Principal Savannah Demeester also attended.