Trading Card Program
The Chico Police Department's trading card program began in 1995. It was designed to introduce the members of the police department to our community as well as develop a positive interaction with young people. Police trading cards look like baseball cards. Officers are depicted in uniform or involved with a personal hobby.
How does the program work? Usually a business or private party will sponsor the officer's trading card. The sponsor donates $225 to the program to pay for 5,000 cards for their particular officer and to help with the purchase of prizes. The name, address, and telephone number of the sponsor are printed on the back of the card. A brief personal message by the officer is also printed on the back of the trading card.
Cards are distributed by the police officer, our Volunteers In Police Service when at events, and at the Police Department as well as the sponsor's place of business. Many sponsors see the program as a great way to develop good community relations with the police department as well as good advertising. All of the trading cards are printed on a large poster that each sponsor will post at their business. To be eligible for prizes, a young person must collect all the cards on the poster. The person will bring the entire collection to the Chico Police Department so they can register for prizes. At the conclusion of the trading card contest series, usually in 6 - 8 weeks, winners are picked at random and awarded their prizes.
As a result of the program, officers have found that kids are not afraid to approach them. Many officers have said it makes them feel like celebrities with kids asking them to autograph their card. It has proven fun for everyone and has turned out to be a very successful program.
For more information about the trading card program, or if you are interested in sponsoring an officer, contact the Special Operations Section at 897-4942