BOWIE, Md. — A Prince George’s County mother and daughter are inspiring others with their special relationship. A special Bowie Police Academy is bridging the gap between a Bowie police officer and her mom who didn't fully understand how her job works.
First Robin Bryant was a mother, but now she's her daughter, Officer Danyelle Parks' best friend.
"I can't wait for her to walk through the door," mother, Robin Bryant said.
"She didn't have too much knowledge of it,” Parks said. “So it was always questions and I felt overwhelmed sometimes coming home from work."
They owe it to the Bowie Citizens Police Academy. Bryant said she learned about the program after her daughter was sworn in.
"I was like I'm curious,” Bryant said. “I said I'm going to sign up."
"And I told her no,” Parks said.
Officer Parks didn’t want her mother to do the 13 week-long academy that allows anyone to learn and interact with law enforcement about how they operate.
"My class, we didn't want it to end because it was really, really informative and very engaging,” Bryant said. "They allowed us to engage, there was a lot of interactions, they were welcoming with whatever questions we had, we went in full force."
"It was a process,” Parks said.
Parks said her perspective changed after learning more about why her mom was so invested in learning more.
"I live that life vicariously through her. Because of my daughter, when she went through the academy and became an officer,” Bryant said. “It made me want to see what her day to day would be like, to be a greater understanding to see if I could be of some assistance."
"Seeing her go through it and seeing the excitement in her face and coming home saying 'Oh, I learned this today' I was happy from that aspect,” Parks said.
That brought them to this point where they talk all the time about work and more.
"It brought us closer together,” Parks said. "I think she understands more so now we can have conversations where she’s like 'I know I learned that in academy.”
Their hope is their happiness transcends others right here in the community.
"Actually going through the academy it'll open their knowledge as to why certain things are done a certain way and I think their mindset and thought process will change," Parks said.
Bryant admits she had concerns about her daughter joining the force at first, but she’s proud that she's apart of a department that has more woman officers than the national average. Now she says she wants to now try this same program with Prince George's County Police.