On the afternoon of Sunday, February 5, 2023, the members of the Cape Elizabeth Police Department had the distinct privilege of hosting 20 refugees and several parishioners of St. Albans Church for an afternoon of food, fun, and laughter. The idea for this event began when Chief Fenton learned that the refugee families were staying at St. Albans Church. The police department’s core belief is that we are interwoven into the fabric of the community. Many of these individuals come from a country where police cannot be trusted and we feel it’s imperative for them to know they can trust law enforcement in this community. This event was planned to welcome these families into our community by treating them to a meal and activities. 

The event began with a cookout where Cape Elizabeth officers volunteered to grill hamburgers and hot dogs for everyone. After the meal, many of the kids had the chance to explore a police car and see the many gadgets and tools it contains. 

The group then ventured over to Pond Cove elementary school where they had the option of watching a movie on the big screen and eating popcorn or playing with the various sporting equipment in the gym. Special thanks must be given to the Cape Elizabeth Library for lending us a movie in Portuguese. It was evident that the kids had a blast playing different sports with the officers. 

Chief Fenton's 15 year old son Jack, and his friend Ben attended the event as well. Ben immigrated to the United States from Angola nine years ago and unbeknownst to him, these refugee families traveled to the U.S. from the exact same spot. Ben was able to speak with the kids about life in the United States and answer the many questions that they had about the ongoing transition. 

We’d like to thank Officer Jordan Peters from the South Portland (Maine) Police Department for joining and assisting us. Officer Peters is fluent in Portuguese and was instrumental in making this a successful event. Thank you!

The above article and pictures posted below are courtesy of the Cape Elizabeth Police Department Facebook page.