The comfort of a 'stuffie'

CRESTVIEW — When a child outgrows stuffed animals, what's next for the toys?

If he's Conner Basilio, 8, he shares them with kids who might be caught in a stressful situation in which a huggable "stuffie," as Conner calls them, can ease some of the anxiety.

Conner recently brought eight "gently loved" stuffed critters to the Crestview Police Department.

"He wanted to donate them to the Police Department for officers to have when dealing with scared kids," Conner's mom, Candy Basilio, stated in a Facebook message.

Keeping stuffed animals in the back of a patrol car alongside weapons, tools and other police equipment is not unusual, Investigator Chaise Rawles said.

"I keep two or three in my car," Rawles said. "You arrive at a domestic violence scene and you have kids crying while their parents are yelling at each other. In a missing-child situation, a stuffed animal helps comfort the child while we wait for the parents to get there."

"Many times when our officers respond to a call from a family where there is trouble, the children do not understand what is happening and become quite upset," Chief Tony Taylor told Conner in a "thank you" letter. "… Your thoughtful gift will provide several of our officers with a stuffed animal to share with another boy or girl who finds themselves in just such a situation."

"Conner is happy (the stuffed animals) will get put to good use helping other kids," Basilio said.

Conner and his mother recently visited with the chief and then got a private tour of police headquarters with Community Services Officer Wanda Hulion.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: The comfort of a 'stuffie'