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New Jersey Police Ask Parents To Stop Telling Their Kids They'll Be Arrested If They're Bad

WILDWOOD, N.J. (CBS/AP) — A New Jersey police department is asking parents to stop threatening their kids that they'll be arrested if they are bad.

Wildwood Police Chief Robert Regalbuto says officers do not want children to be scared of police when they need help. Regalbuto says police want kids to know they are their friends.

Visitors to the city's boardwalk will notice signs this summer featuring a smiling police officer that say "Parents: Please stop telling your children we will haul them off to jail if they are bad. We want them to run TO us if they are scared, NOT be scared of US."

On the Wildwood Police Facebook page Chief Regalbuto says, "Over the course of a season, we hear hundreds of parents tell their children, 'Don't do anything bad or he (the officer) is going to arrest you. We don't want children to be fearful of police officers. We want them to know that police officers are their friends and are there to help them."

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten)

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