KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

Maj. Mark Folsom and the Kansas City Police Department have found a different way to do police work.

“I think most policemen want to help people,” Folsom said. “That’s why they get in the business. And that never went away for me. I still want to help people.”

Folsom, along with dozens of other officers, volunteers with Lead to Read as reading mentors. They’re in urban classrooms where many of the kids are reading below grade level.

Folsom said most kids who get in trouble with the law are functionally illiterate. He hopes this program can ultimately make a difference in kids’ lives.

“If they could get that reading skill which allows them to succeed in school, it could lead to opportunities to go to college and get scholarships.”

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