A Louisiana teen visits Fayetteville in her mission to change the perception of police

A Louisiana teen with a mission to hug police officers in all 50 states visited the Fayetteville Police Department to spread her message of love Friday.

For seven years, 14-year-old Rosalyn Baldwin and her mom have traveled the U.S. to show the good in police departments, mother Angie Baldwin said. The family created the nonprofit, Rosalyn Loves, to support the goal.

"I thought this was one of the best ways to show that not all officers are bad — that there's always a good side to everyone and that officers are human," Rosalyn said Friday.

The family has visited 45 states thus far, with Washington, Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon and California being their last stops, said Angie Baldwin, who grew up in Goldston.

Rosalyn said the 2016 killing of five police officers in Dallas, Texas, inspired her to begin her journey.

"I was reading this headline when I was 6 years old ... I was like, 'Why are cops seen as bad?'" she said. "It first started with me and my family, particularly my mom, first delivering to our local police station. We gave them cookies and stickers, something simple at the start."

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Bringing gifts to their local police station expanded into the mission to visit every state and hug officers. Rosalyn said, as a Christian, she believes this mission was sent from God.

She said her affinity for law enforcement comes from her family being what she called a "blue family."

"A lot of my family members, even if they are not technically related to me, have been police officers," she said.

Rosalyn has been to police departments in North Carolina before. Angie Baldwin said they had visited the Charlotte Police Department in the past. While Friday was the teen's first time at the Fayetteville Police Department, she said it's not her first visit to the city.

"Everyone's glowing here, I see everyone's faces, it's amazing," Rosalyn said.

In a conference room at the department around lunchtime Friday, about two dozen officers received their hugs.

"When so many young kids your age are at home playing video games or worried more about other things in life, you chose a bigger role and platform," Police Chief Kemberle Braden told the young woman.

Assistant Chief Robert Ramirez said he was moved by Rosalyn's mission.

"I've got goosebumps," he told her. "I'm nearly almost fighting back tears here."

Many of the officers who received hugs also gave hugs to Rosalyn's young brother Phillip who was also in attendance.

After the hugs, Braden and Ramirez gave the family a tour of the department, showing them the 911 call center, the chief's office and the garage where the police vehicles are stored.

Afterward, Braden presented Rosalyn and Phillip with gift bags containing several challenge coins, a patch, and a hat and water bottle with the police department logo.

The Baldwin family hopes to complete their mission this year, Angie Baldwin said.

To follow their travels, visit facebook.com/RosalynLoves.

Public safety reporter Joseph Pierre can be reached at jpierre@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville Police Department receives a visit from Rosalyn Baldwin