Mild Winter Takes St. Cloud’s COP House Hockey Program Indoors, Building Bonds On and Off the Ice

(KNSI) — Minnesota’s mild winter forced the St. Cloud Community Outpost Hockey Program to change locations.

Officer Deborah Ocloo, assigned to the Community Response Team that works out of the Cop House, told KNSI News recent record temperatures forced the event indoors. “And this year, the weather threw us a little curveball with it being much nicer outside than our regular Minnesota winters. But we’ve always been able to partner with St. Cloud State’s hockey center and get ice time there. So we took advantage of that.”

Thanks to a partnership with St. Cloud State University, over two dozen youngsters learned how to smack the puck around for over an hour at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

Officer Ocloo believes this program builds bonds between youngsters and the police.

“We had officers in uniform out on the ice with the kids. So it’s always great to see the kids interact with officers, not just us community engagement officers. Whether they’re in uniform or out of uniform.”

Ocloo explained the event allows them to get to know the kids they serve in the community and allows them to get to know the police as well. “We get to really humanize the badge, number one. And then two, provide opportunities for kids in the community that may not otherwise have those opportunities.”

A couple of members of the St. Cloud Norsemen also joined the kids from the Boys and Girls Club of Central Minnesota Southside location. Any child in the city could attend for free.

It was the year’s first event, and the organization hopes to hold another, but it will depend on the weather. Check Community Outpost’s social media sites for updates.

The Cop House Hockey Program has been around since 2020.

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