Hugs are winners

And so is a photo of Newark police hugging people along Main Street, according to the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The office, a component of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing practices, announced Thursday that the image of Newark police Cpl. James Spadola and Officer Aaron Olicker giving free hugs last year was among the 12 winners of the COPS Office 2016 Community Policing in Action Photo Contest.

“While community policing has been a focus of the Newark Police Department for many years now, the recognition of our department by the Office of Community Oriented  Policing Services (COPS) is a great honor and something for our community to be proud of,” said Carol Houck, Newark’s city manager.

Read the full article here!