Murrieta Families Put Safety First During K9 Trials Paws 4 Law Fair

MURRIETA, CA — The Murrieta K9 Trials Event drew officers to the field, and families to the fair, on February 15 at Murrieta Mesa High School.

The annual event is hosted by the Murrieta Police Department and the paws4law Foundation, which raises awareness and support for active and retired police canines, according to www.paws4law.org and a recent news release from the Community Outreach Ministry, based out of Wildomar.

"The K9 Trials event included a public safety fair, a SWAT display, and local business and event vendors such as the Community Outreach Ministry, a nonprofit organization serving at-risk youth with one or both parents in prison.

"For more than 20 years, the ministry has helped thousands of at-risk youth through social, educational and vocational events that include camping trips, holiday parties and Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and
Mathematics (STEAM) mentoring day camps and workshops," according to a recent news release from that organization.

Community Outreach Ministry sponsored a booth that fingerprinted children and provided Child Identification Kits, they said.

"The kits serve both families and law enforcement agencies because the vital information collected, such as fingerprints and photos, can be immediately accessed by the parents should a child go missing," they said.

According to a press release from The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), statistics are rising in favor of the continued distribution and use of Child ID Kits for kids. In California, for example, NCMEC, together with law enforcement, identified over 27,000 missing children depicted in imagery in 2023 thanks to the availability of the kits. More than 22,000 runaway children who are more susceptible to gang involvement, homelessness and sex trafficking were also identified that same year because Child ID kits were readily available.

"The California State Legislature 71st Assembly District Assemblymember Kate Sanchez sponsored crime prevention coloring and activity books at our table. McGruff the Crime Dog, a popular animated figure created decades ago to teach children to 'Take a Bite Out of Crime,' was
the central theme of the material given to both kids and parents," according to Bob and Mona Davies, who run the Community Outreach Ministry.

"We purchased the parenting tips from the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) to inform both parents and children on topics such as Discussing Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drugs, Understanding Messages in the Media for keeping children safe on the Internet and Helping Your Children with Bullies. Parents and grandparents were thankful for the safety and crime prevention materials helping to keep their kids and grandkids safer," they said.

Coach Cynthia Duran of Sewing Stories also at our booth sponsored free arts and craft project for children. It was a make-and-take upcycled T-shirt bag. The children decorated the bags using scraps of fabric and mod podge. The fabrics offered to children consisted of colorful material featuring uplifting images.The Community Outreach Ministry will be hosting its Spring STEAM Day Camp and workshops to engage mentees with valuable knowledge for learning and developing personal skills for self- expression and personal growth.

The event is for at-risk kids and families on Saturday, April 12, from noon to 3:30 pm at the Murrieta Public Library. The nonprofit organization welcomes donors and sponsors to each of its events.

For more information on donations or sponsorships call the ministry’s office at 951-698-7650 or call/text 951-231-5515. Find out more via email at info@communityoutreachministry.org or visit the group's website at www.communityoutreachministry.org.