RACINE - When Julia Witherspoon retired from the Racine Police Department, she found a new weapon. Books.

Witherspoon explained, "When I was on patrol I could see a lot of children were growing up without books and I wanted to use my life to change that."

Witherspoon founded the Cops 'N Kids Reading Center in Racine. It's like a neighborhood library where kids can check out books, hear stories, and receive after school tutoring.

The Cops 'N Kids Reading Center is turning new pages in children's lives. Witherspoon proudly points out, "Our crime was very high where these kids are. Our kids are not getting arrested."

Cops 'N Kids was born out of a burglar call to a warehouse that turned out to be a false alarm.

Witherspoon remembers, "It was dark. When the lights came on there were boxes and boxes and boxes of children's books."

Julia managed to get ten thousand books donated and moved. Julia, a voracious reader herself points out, "If they can read at home and build up comprehension skills, math will come, science will come, English will come. Everything will come if they can just master comprehension."

The building that now houses Cops 'N Kids was vacant for 28 years before it became the reading center. Drugs were even sold in the doorway. Today, hugs replace the drugs.

Witherspoon gets emotional thinking about the program. "It does something to me to see them reading. Without someone making them read."

Today, there are 70 Cops 'N Kids programs all over the world, including Africa, the Philippines, and Venezuela.

Witherspoon tearfully states, "I'm not ashamed to tell the world this every time a community opens a Cops n' Kids it warms my heart because I know they have a chance, they have a shot at it."

Julia is filled with tears of joy. She says she cannot help it. "Seeing a child reading does something to me."

Racine's Deputy Police Chief Art Howell says Witherspoon was a true role model when he was young. Howell, remembers, "It was neat to have people like her in the community to kind of follow you from your house to the streets."

But Witherspoon deflects attention from herself. She praises a caring community and loving volunteers like retired teacher Margaret Drysdale. Drysdale describes it this way, "I can be with these kids. I can help them read, teach them. I feel like I give more back than I give really."

And one trip to the Cops 'N Kids Reading Center it becomes crystal clear. Julia Witherspoon may no longer be patrolling neighborhoods but she's still keeping kids off the streets. And as the young people open new chapters of learning, Cops N Kids is likely saving lives.

Witherspoon concludes, "It's just the Lord. I didn't have the money to buy the books. I don't have any money. These books are donated. I can't do it. It's nothing but a blessing. That's all I can say."

For more information, visit theCops 'N Kids Web Site.