School bans “High-Five Friday” to avoid having cops around children of color

“People were specifically concerned about kids of color, undocumented children, or any children who may have had negative experiences with the police,” the police department announced in a Facebook post.

According to the Boston Globe, Northampton’s superintendent ended the program after complaints by parents and other school officials, just two months after it began. The Northampton Police Department, which adapted the idea from a similar initiative in San Diego, pitched it as a means to allow police officers to interact with children and become more connected with the communities they serve.

“High-Five Friday” was a weekly program in which officers would stand outside the entrances to schools, offering high-fives to students arriving to class.

“As much as we enjoyed the visits,” the department said, “we also took time to listen to the thoughts of some School Committee members, school staff, and past and present parents/families.”

The police department has previously posted tweets that displayed pictures of the weekly event in a positive light.