By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
When Steve Haulmark was introduced as the next police chief at the Great
Bend Police Department in January 2021, he mentioned he wanted to bring an
increased presence of community engagement. Haulmark sought ways to speak and
meet with groups and create more positive interactions with law enforcement.
Partnering with the local Pizza Hut restaurants, the police department is
conducting a “Pizza Thursdays” where each week officers visit a grade school in
town to have lunch with students.
"The teachers in each class get to recommend one student who has been doing a great job," said Haulmark. "We'll take a few cops and have lunch and talk with those kids. We just get to interact with them and build those relationships."
The police department approached Pizza Hut to provide the food each week.
Haulmark said “Pizza Thursdays” will be an ongoing program that will rotate
through the different elementary schools.
