Hopkins Cops N Kids 2026!

June 11, 2026

Rain Couldn’t Stop Cops N Kids — 23 Hopkins Kids Fish, Then Bowl

Hats off to the Hopkins Police Department and the sponsors of Cops N Kids!

On June 11, 2026, the Hopkins Police Department loaded up 23 excited kids and headed for Lake Minnetonka for the department’s annual Cops N Kids fishing day. The program pairs 4th and 5th graders — nominated by community members for a chance at a positive role-model experience — with Hopkins officers for a full day of outdoor fun.

The weather had other plans. Rain cut the fishing short, so the group pivoted to Tuttle’s in Hopkins, where the kids traded fishing poles for bowling balls and kept the celebration going.

“It’s important to build relationships outside of an emergency situation.”
Officer William Hitt, Hopkins Police Department

Eight Hopkins Police Department personnel were on hand for the day, including six officers, all giving their time to make it happen. The Cops N Kids program has been a Hopkins tradition since the 1980s, when it was founded by then-Chief Earl Johnson. Revived in 2009, it has run entirely on community donations ever since — with local businesses stepping up each year to help give these kids a day they won’t forget.

Hats Off, America, to the Hopkins Police Department, to the generous donors who make this program possible year after year, and most of all to the 23 kids who spent a rainy June day fishing (and bowling!) with some pretty great cops.

The Hopkins Police Department has a long history of showing up for their community. Check out their Thanksgiving grocery deliveries and the Coffee with a Cop program for more great examples of officers building community connections.