
Sweet treats like Skittles, Laffy Taffy and bubblegum helped make for a positive first interaction with police for 12-year-old Hahdeyah Porter, who shared how her day was with some of the officers.
"We talked about basketball practice and how it was," she said.
Officers gathered at Malcolm X Park in Cedar Park to pass out candy to kids who otherwise might not go out trick-or-treating in an area that's been plagued by gun violence.
"It made me feel safe and good, like there are people out there who want to protect me," Porter added.
Acting Police Commissioner Christine Coulter said this is a much-needed event.
"You don't ever want children's only opportunity to see you be at a crime scene or an arrest situation. We like to be able to see them in a positive light," she said.
She believes this small interaction could make a big difference.
"They could look back on this moment 10 years from now and say 'you know what, I met an officer and I knew he cared about me, and I think I want to have that as my profession,'" Coulter said.
And for Porter, the day was pretty sweet.
"It was nice, it was a good experience," she said.