C.O.P.S. Kids at Quantico
FBI National Academy hosts children of fallen officers for a day of fun and support
Children enter a tunnel of National Academy students at the start of C.O.P.S. Kids event May 16, 2026, at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
Even the most seasoned police officers get emotional when the C.O.P.S. Kids step off the bus at Quantico.
For 20 years, the FBI has welcomed children of fallen law enforcement officers to the FBI Academy during National Police Week—a tradition many students in the FBI National Academy now describe as one of the most meaningful parts of the program.
This year on May 16, 51 children arrived by police escort at Quantico as nearly 100 students from the FBI National Academy’s 298th session waited to greet them with cheers, games, carnival booths, snow cones, and service dogs.
But beneath the celebration was a reality every officer there understood: every child stepping off those buses had lost a parent in the line of duty.
“Seeing those kids come off that bus—you can’t help but feel moved by that,” said Rod Kenny, a detective superintendent with England’s Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary.
“Because a lot of the National Academy course has been about looking into the future—how do you prepare your agencies for future risks? But our future might not come, right? We’re in a risky business. And this is a reminder for all of us that we’ve got to invest in those kids that have lost their loved ones and wrap around them as best we can.”
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While the children of fallen officers spent the day at the FBI Academy with National Academy students and volunteers, surviving parents participated in counseling sessions and support programs nearby. Activities for older kids, like “minefield,” required teamwork and helped build trust.
The dominant sound across the FBI Academy grounds was laughter—children having their faces painted, trying on tactical gear, throwing balls with police officers, and, for a few hours at least, simply getting to be children.
Kenny is among nearly 255 law enforcement leaders from across the United States and around the world attending the FBI National Academy’s intensive 10-week leadership program.
Hosted at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, the National Academy brings together experienced law enforcement professionals for advanced training in leadership, communication, fitness, and emerging law enforcement issues. Since its creation in 1935, the program has graduated nearly 57,000 officers from all 50 states and more than 170 countries.
The children are part of Concerns of Police Survivors, or C.O.P.S., a nonprofit organization founded in 1984 to support the families and co-workers of officers killed in the line of duty. The organization’s C.O.P.S. Kids program helps children navigate grief through counseling, mentorship, and connection with other children who have experienced similar loss.
While the children spent the day at the FBI Academy with National Academy students and volunteers, surviving parents participated in counseling sessions and support programs nearby.
For many National Academy students, the event became far more emotional than they expected.
“As I watched the bus pull in and saw the little ones get off, I could feel it,” said Pete Nickischer, a crime lieutenant from Upper Macungie Township Police in Pennsylvania. “These kids have been through tremendous adversity.”
Many National Academy students volunteered to remain at Quantico over the weekend rather than return home to their own families.
“This is a reminder for all of us that we’ve got to invest in those kids that have lost their loved ones and wrap around them as best we can.”
Rod Kenny, National Academy student; detective superintendent, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, England
National Academy student Danny Bruch, a commander for the Roanoke County (Virginia) Police Department, found himself surrounded by kids and balloons. Volunteer Marcos Herrera brought his service dog from the Vienna (Virginia) Police Department. Face-painting and temporary tattoos were kid favorites.
Brian Nadeau, a longtime C.O.P.S. volunteer who is deputy police commissioner for the Baltimore Police Department in Maryland, has spent more than 30 years working with the program.
“Once you do it once, you get so tied to the kids,” said Nadeau, who is retired from the FBI.
He said children of fallen officers may feel isolated after losing a parent in the line of duty.
“When they come here,” he said, “they meet kids going through like circumstances, and they finally have somebody to talk to. At the end of the week, they feel better about themselves.”
That connection often lasts years beyond National Police Week. “We’ve had kids grow up through this program, become law enforcement officers, and come back to volunteer,” Nadeau said.
National Academy students served lunch to C.O.P.S Kids volunteers and 51 children who had lost a parent.
Throughout the day at Quantico, officers and volunteers focused on creating moments of joy for children carrying unimaginable grief.
Therapy and peer-support dogs were among the day’s most popular attractions. Tanya Joson, a public safety analyst with CSX Railroad Police, brought Jesse, a peer-support K-9 trained to assist with wellness and crisis response.
“There’s a lot of emotion here,” Joson said. “Seeing all the kids smile and watching their demeanor change when he walks in the room—that’s why I’m here.”
Participating organizations included FBI National Academy Associates, a non-profit, international organization of more than 14,000 senior law enforcement professionals, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and the Bureau’s Laboratory, Hostage Rescue Team, and Washington Field Office Evidence Response Team. Mutts With a Mission, a nonprofit that trains service dogs for disabled veterans and first responders, also participated.
The event highlighted the international reach of the FBI National Academy. Officers from 26 countries participated in the day’s activities alongside their American counterparts.
Christina Danielsson, of the Swedish Security Service, called the event “one of the best and most important days” of her National Academy experience so far.
“It’s another perspective on leadership,” Danielsson said. “Volunteering together and being here for these families.”
“It’s a sacred oath that we take to honor our fallen. To be able to support these families as they navigate such a horrific situation—it’s the least we could do.”
Ed Gonzalez, National Academy student; sheriff, Harris County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office
Therapy and peer-support dogs were among the day’s most popular attractions. C.O.P.S. Kids volunteer Tanya Joson, a public safety analyst with CSX Railroad Police, brought along her peer-support K-9 poodle Chessie, who received lots of hugs.
At the end of the day, students in National Academy session 298 sent the children off in style with balloons, candy, smiles, and tears.
For Po Jung Chen, a senior investigator from Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau, the experience was deeply personal despite the distance from home.
“I saw them come in this morning, and I just wanted to cry,” Chen said. “It was so touching.”
For many officers, the day served as a reminder of the profession’s shared responsibility—not only to honor fallen officers but to care for the families they leave behind.
“It’s a sacred oath that we take to honor our fallen,” said Ed Gonzalez, sheriff of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in Texas. “To be able to support these families as they navigate such a horrific situation—it’s the least we could do.”
Still, amid the emotion, the dominant sound across the FBI Academy grounds was laughter — children having their faces painted, trying on tactical gear, throwing balls with police officers, and, for a few hours at least, simply getting to be children.
“I’m happy to see them laugh and smile and just be kids,” said Karla Rodriguez, a captain with the Los Angeles Airport Police. “I think that’s important.”