Studies show that before third grade, children are learning to read, and at third grade and beyond, they are reading to learn.

According to data, if children haven’t developed reading skills by 8 years old, they are four times less likely to graduate from high school. If they come from low-income homes, they are six times less likely.

Not reading by third grade has also become a predictor for other things in life, from potential poverty to incarceration, according to Bill Hulterstrom, president and CEO of the United Way of Utah County.

“Being able to read also keeps you socially connected,” he said.

It is because of these concerns and a desire to connect with kids in a positive way that Lt. Michael Paraskeva of the Orem Police Department started a reading program with local elementary schools.

The program began in 2019, just on the cusp of the COVID-19 pandemic. That first year, officers read to children at Geneva Elementary School from kindergarten through third grade.

During the pandemic, Geneva was torn down, but the officers kept the program going by making videos that could be seen through the Orem Public Library.

This year, the in-person reading program started up again, and since January police in Orem have spent more than 500 hours reading to kids. They have chosen to read to just third graders but in a greater number of elementary schools, including Cherry Hill, Bonneville, Westmore, Parkside and Windsor.

The hope is to expand the officer reading program to more schools beginning this fall.

Besides Paraskeva others reading include Orem Police Chief Josh Adams, Capt. B.J. Robinson, Lt. Jeremy Jamison, Sgt. Karalee Johnson, Sgt. Glenn Giles, Officer David Hallam, Officer Brady Andreason, Officer Richard Harvey and Officer Jared Weech.

“There have been a total of 28 reading shifts thus far, with approximately 325 third graders read to by an Orem police officer, totaling 560 minutes of reading,” according to Kena Mathews, Orem City’s community services manager.

The officers also hand out pencils, bookmarks and new books to each child.

“The Reading with Police Program was the brainchild of one of the City of Orem’s police lieutenants. Lt. Paraskeva was concerned about the correlation between illiteracy and incarceration rates. The program is simple and is meant to encourage students to read and to help them feel more comfortable around police officers — seeing them as friends and not enemies,” Mathews said.

Mathews noted many of the Orem schools have cultural diversity and there are times when children fear police rather than trust them. Orem police hope to change that.

The reading program is just one of the programs the Orem Police Department has initiated to engage the school community and let them get to know officers in a positive atmosphere.

Other programs include the new Cookies with a Cop day started at Cherry Hill Elementary and Doughnuts with Police started at Orem Junior High School.

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