Police Search Is On: for 100 Teddy Bears : Law enforcement: Officers seek donations of the furry stuffed animals. They will be given to children who are victimized by or witness crime or arrests.

Authorities are seeking public help--but not to identify a crime suspect.

Glendale police are trying to round up a supply of 100 teddy bears to give to children who are victims of, or witnesses to, crimes, or who have watched their parents be arrested.

“This is not just some public relations-type deal,” Capt. Michael Post said. “The bears are intended to address some serious emotional-trauma issues.”

A number of Glendale youngsters are involved in crimes in some way, Post said--as victims of abuse or as witnesses to domestic violence, gang conflicts or drug activity. Often, narcotics detectives serve search warrants and make arrests in front of a young child. Patrol officers regularly meet with children whose parents have been taken to the hospital in an ambulance after a traffic accident.

Such experiences are unquestionably traumatic for the young, who may feel that their world is collapsing around them. A bear to call their own can help them cope, Post said.

“If you have some poor little kid that we’ve just ripped out of a home, that person is in dire need of some small evidence that there are people in the world who care about him,” he said. “That’s what the real intent is; not just to get a smile out of a kid. It’s something for them to hang on to for the moment.”

Community Service Officer Cyndi Lindner said the Police Department decided last month to equip all of its 70 patrol and detective cars with the teddies, so every officer has one available for distribution in the event of a crisis.

Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s San Dimas station have been handing out stuffed animals to youngsters affected by crimes for the past two years. The toys have always been well-received, a spokesman said.

“In most instances, it’s a comfort to them,” said Crime Prevention Sgt. Bob Shearer, who added that several other police departments in the East San Gabriel Valley use the stuffed toys, as do deputies in San Bernardino County.

Glendale police briefly had a similar program about three years ago, but it faltered for lack of toys, Lindner said.

Last week, Lindner said, about 24 cars were provided for the first time with teddy bears donated by Telephone Pioneers, an organization of retired telephone-company employees. But the department still needs more for the rest of the cars.

Post said that officers will have total discretion in distributing the furry creatures. Although the program is targeted at children, Post said, there are no age limits on who can receive a toy.

“If it’s an 8-year-old, or an 80-year-old, an officer is free to make use of that bear if he feels it’s the right thing to do for the circumstances.”

Glendale Juvenile Detective Ron Insalaco said that, in addition to providing comfort, the bears “help break the barrier between the kids and the police” and aid in communication.

“It’s a very simple item, but it’s very symbolic of the fact that we do care for children,” the detective said.