Schoolkids Tune In to Friendly ‘Singing Cop’

Jim Starr, “The Singing Cop,” looked more like a pop star than a former LAPD sergeant Wednesday at Emelita Street Elementary School.

After he finished his performance, a group of children surrounded him, excitedly asking for autographs and asking him to play an encore. One girl pasted a frog sticker on his hand.

During Starr’s half-hour performance of songs about violence, drugs, healthy living and conflict resolution, children clapped and sang along.

Then they joined Starr and his partner, Suzan Hughes, in the performance area on the playground. Being safety-minded, Starr warned them about tripping over cords or getting electrocuted by the speakers.

Starr’s performances at elementary schools are sponsored by the Los Angeles Unified School District through his nonprofit Starr Gem Safety Foundation for Children.

“What you see is what you get. You don’t fool kids,” Starr, 49, said after the performance. “This is a labor of passion. I’m able to spend more time being a kid.”

Starr, who said he worked for the LAPD for 25 years and is now a reserve officer, has entertained about 15,000 children at 16 schools throughout Southern California, accompanied by Hughes and his star-shaped “talking” guitar. He started doing the appearances this year.

“If we can touch or save one life, that’s our whole goal,” Starr said. “Kids also need direction; kids are looking for role models.”

Starr said his law enforcement experience comes in handy as a performer.

“Cops are actors. We resolve conflicts through communication, words, intelligence,” he said. “These kids are hungry to learn, and all they need is a little encouragement.”

Starr incorporates skits into his show, with the children participating. During one sketch Wednesday, Starr pretended to be a stranger in a car asking a child to help him find a lost puppy.

Jordan Barron, 9, said the skit taught her to run in the opposite direction should a stranger approach.

“I learned safety comes first,” Jordan said. “I always thought safety was a joke.”