Sarasota schools thank first responders

Sarasota students paid a visit to the Sarasota Police Department Jan. 24.

But not because they were in trouble.

Students from the Sarasota Military Academy and the Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences paid a visit to the station to give gifts and recognition to Sarasota police officers and firefighters.

The event was in honor of First Responder Appreciation Month, which is sponsored by the Downtown Improvement District.

Police Chief Bernadette DiPino expressed her thanks to the students and gave each of them a Blue + You pin. Blue + You aims to strengthen the visual and communicative aspects of the police department.

“You are the reason why we do this each and every day,” she said to the students.

Students presented police officers and firefighters with small gifts, such as candy, then got to explore a fire truck, meet police dog Bronson and take a seat on a policeman’s motorcycle.