NEDERLAND — Lights flashed as people were escorted into a police car at the Marion and Ed Hughes Library on Thursday.

No, those weren’t criminal suspects being aided into the Nederland Police Department vehicle. Those were smiling faces of children who were given a tour of Richard Hebert’s squad car.

The morning “Hero Day” started off with library assistant Noah Perryman reading superhero stories to the children before a question-and-answer session with the NISD resource officer.

There were not as many questions as there were children who were eager to tell the officer their age, but Hebert said he enjoyed the interaction.

“I’m assigned to the school district,” Hebert said. “It took me a little while to get used to it after so many years of not being around kids that often. They’re just fun, especially the elementary age.

NISD resource officer Richard Hebert takes questions during ‘Hero Day’ at the Marion and Ed Hughes Library in Nederland on Thursday. (Chris Moore/The News) 

 

 

“I’m always getting them into trouble. I’ll go at lunchtime and you see that they can’t stay still, and they’ll run up to me and then get called back by their teachers. It’s all fun. They enjoy seeing the police and we enjoy seeing them.”

Cassie Guy was at the library with her 7-year-old son Kaisen who was eager to see the inside of the police car.

“I think he had a good time,” Guy said of her son. “He was at my parents’ house having a parent night over there and he was adamant on coming to ‘super hero’ Day today. He had a lot fun.”

Kaisen said that he enjoyed everything about the day but especially seeing the lights on the patrol car.

“It’s been so long since my son has been that age,” Hebert said. “I enjoyed every second of it when he was that age. I just like being around kids.”