UK NEWS

POLICE PAY TRUMP CARD IN THE BATTLE AGAINST CRIME

WINNING HAND: The new picture cards

Wednesday July 16,2008

By Mark Reynolds

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Police yesterday revealed their latest weapon in the war on crime – a cult card game for children.

Officers have awarded themselves skill ratings and are handing out the Top Trumps-style picture cards on the streets to make them seem more “cool and approachable” to youngsters.

The officers have marked themselves out of 100 in four different categories – pedal power, problem-solving, agility and strength.

The cards also give children a top tip and the officer’s favourite part of policing.

The tips include warnings such as “If it isn’t yours don’t touch it” to more general advice like “Always eat breakfast” and “Be kind to your mum, you know she loves you”.

Some enthusiastic officers have even given themselves nicknames such as PC Alan “Bullet” Hunter.

Children are already understood to be collecting the “cop swap” cards, which feature ranks from low-scoring police community support officers up to a platinum chief superintendent. But Hampshire Police, which is spending £3,000 on the scheme to get youngsters on their side, admits that some of the officers taking part in Portsmouth were initially reluctant.

Spokeswoman Liz Harding said: “There were a couple of officers who had reservations. They thought, ‘I’m a police officer, I’m here to solve crime, why am I handing out game cards?’

“We had to convince them we weren’t messing about and told them the children will love the cards and more people will talk to them as a result.

“It’s going fantastically well. Officers say they are getting mobbed outside schools. There are 48 cards to collect and later in the summer we may offer prizes for children who have the whole set.

“Some of the cards are rarer – the platinum and gold cards – because the senior management team don’t go out so often.”

Support officer Phil Farrell, 35, said his card has turned him into a hero. He said: “My pedal power is 30 and
my strength is 40 and the kids are loving that.”

The Top Trumps game began in the Seventies. The holder of the highest-value card in each category wins
the round and the object is to end up with all the cards.