COLUMBUS (WCMH) – For the second year, Columbus Police officers and central Ohio barbers are teaming up to give children the tools they need to succeed in school and beyond.

Starfish Assignment, a non-profit that helps connect law enforcement officers and their communities, along with AEP Ohio, held the event at the Beatty Community Center Sunday afternoon, an event which aims to provide kids with a positive perspective on police, while giving them fresh haircuts and new school supplies.

“Receive bookbags, school supplies, free haircuts, I mean, what else can you ask for?” said Mario Dovell from Columbus Recreation and Parks. “And you get involved with the police? Beautiful.”

“We need to have a lot more conversations outside of a 9-1-1- call responsibility,” said Columbus Police Officer Tim Becker.

The initiative was scaled back this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, but dozens of children still received a backpack with new school supplies, two books, and more, in addition to haircuts.