Welsh PD fulfills 9-year-old’s dream to be a cop

A new police officer is patrolling the streets of Welsh.The Welsh Police Department posted a heart-warming video, getting more than 7,000 views on Facebook, of a young man who fulfilled his dream of being an officer.For 9-year-old Josh Fruge, being a police officer is the only job he wants to do."Because doing arrests and chasing people, I like to do. You can turn on the sirens and the sirens are fun to listen to," he said.Fruge got his first police uniform at the age of four."He always was interested. Any time we were in town, if he saw a police man, it might’ve been the lights of the cars or the sirens that first attracted his attention, but he always had to go shake their hand and talk to them," said his father, Clinton Fruge.Detectives were doing surveillance in Josh’s neighborhood when he came up to their window, knocked on their door and asked them what they were doing in his neighborhood. When the chief heard about his love of cops, they decided to surprise him with an adventure he’d never forget."I think I was almost more excited than he was when I heard about it," said Josh’s father.On Friday, his dream came to life. Josh geared up, putting his toy gun in a holster fit for a real cop gun. Josh patrolled town with his partner, Chief Marcus Crochet. He got a police ID card, learned how to use a speed radar, and even made his first arrest, catching a man going 35 mph in a 50 mph speed zone. (Full disclosure, the man who was speeding was set up just for Josh to catch)."I told him to step out the vehicle, and put his hands on the car and I took him in the police car. Being a cop is just fun," said Josh.When asked what his favorite part about being on the job was, he replied, "To be with my favorite partner, Marcus.""He took control of the whole thing and to my surprise he knew exactly what to be said and what was going on and read them their rights. He’s a very knowledgeable young man," said Chief Marcus Crochet.Although he has a few more years before he can officially become a full-time police officer, the Welsh police chief says, they’re looking forward to keeping him as part of their station."My father was 30 years law enforcement and I could remember as a young child, just like him, exploring the Lake Charles police department. And it feels good to know that in a day and time like today, with everything going on in the world that we still have young men like that who still have an interest in law enforcement," said Chief Crochet.And Josh’s father agrees, getting emotional as he talked about the profession his son loves so much."He finally got to do something that he’s been wanting to do for a long time. And to see anyone, any child, especially my son want to be a police man or to serve the public, yeah that makes me pretty proud," said Fruge.