This month, Arkansas Living visits the U.S. Marshals Museum, which the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas are proud to sponsor. But first, allow us to introduce another Fort Smith law enforcement institution.
Make that claw enforcement.
Meet Pawfficer Fuzz, the Fort Smith Police Department’s four-legged community ambassador.
Since being sworn in to the force as a 6-week-old kitten in 2019, the blue-eyed Siamese has attended nearly 500 events with officers Robyn Shoptaw and Brad Williams of the department’s Community Relations Unit.
Chief Danny Baker never intended for Fuzz, whose name was chosen in a community contest, to be just another mascot. His beat was much bigger. Shoptaw says Baker envisioned Fuzz as “a tool we could use to
really help us connect with the community, start conversations and break the ice. … It makes us look a little more human.”
Mission accomplished. Fuzz has become a cele-purr-ity, making appearances everywhere from local gatherings to the Hallmark Channel to his own Instagram account. But his real impact isn’t measured in airtime or social media impressions. It’s measured in fur-st impressions.
Shoptaw recalls visiting a kindergarten classroom where one little girl immedi-ately retreated to a corner in tears because previous experiences had taught her to fear police officers. By the end of the visit, she was sitting with Shoptaw, comforted by the calm feline in uniform.
Shoptaw says the girl realized, “OK, Pawfficer Fuzz is good, and they have him, so they must be OK.”
Adults are eager to meet Fuzz too, with Shoptaw’s fellow officers fielding questions about him regularly. “They’ll be out in a patrol car and on a call, a serious situation, and someone will ask if Pawfficer Fuzz is with them. ‘Do you have the cat?’”
When his vest goes on, it’s time for work. He’ll patiently pose for photos and accept gentle pets from admirers. Off duty, he enjoys tuna, catnip, bird-watching and the occasional indulgent treat. An Instagram caption beneath a photo of Pawfficer “investigating” a package of powdered doughnuts jokes, “Yes, Fuzz is a cop!”
What began as an unconventional idea has become a powerful cat-alyst for connection.
Stay paws-itive,
