Girl brings mission to hug cops to Milwaukee
29 states visited so far in plan to hug everywhere
An 8-year-old girl from Louisiana is traveling the country to hug police officers.
On Wednesday, she brought her mission to Milwaukee.
Rosalyn Baldwin bounded off the elevator at Milwaukee police headquarters and hugged the first officer she saw: Joe LeMire, chief of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Police Department.
Rosalyn started her project, RosalynLoves, after the fatal shooting of five police officers in Dallas in 2016.
Her goal is to hug officers in every state and she’s more than halfway there. Wisconsin is the 29th state she has visited.
What’s her favorite part of the project?
“The hugging!” she said.
Why do police officers need so many hugs?
“Because they sacrifice their lives every day, and they need this love,” she said.
Rosalyn and her mother, Angie Baldwin, stopped in Michigan earlier this week and visited the Detroit Police Department before taking the Lake Express to Milwaukee.
Officers from the Milwaukee Police Department and UW-Milwaukee gathered in MacArthur Square on Wednesday afternoon. As Rosalyn wrapped her arms around the officers, many said thank you.
The 8-year-old said her work is inspired by God. Her parents support her mission — her father is a pastor — and helping her achieve it by taking her to the different states and fundraising for travel costs.
When Rosalyn heard about the officers being killed in Dallas, she was devastated, her mom said.
“Why are they killing our heroes?” her mom recalled her asking.
At first, her parents suggested she send postcards and letters to officers. That changed after officers were shot and killed in nearby Baton Rouge, La.
“She really believes in police officers. That makes us feel great,” Milwaukee police Sgt. Joseph Honzelka said.
“It’s truly, truly one of the most memorable days I’ve had,” he said. “It made me glad to be a police officer today.”
LeMire, the UW-Milwaukee chief, couldn’t remember the last time he was hugged while on duty.
“It’s been a long, long time,” he said with a laugh. “A lot of times when we interact with people it’s not for positive stuff.”
“That takes a toll on people,” LeMire said. “For her at that age to understand that and say ‘I just think the officers need a hug’ is a pretty mature thought.”