By Police1 Staff
Lending a helping hand is part of the job for officers of the law — but their daily good deeds rarely make headlines. With our new series, we aim to bring some much-deserved attention to the little things our officers do for our communities every day. Check out this week’s round-up of inspiring stories from around the country.
Fla. cop resuscitates cat after house fire
(Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Image)
THONOTOSASSA, Fla. — Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Amanda “Brooke” Talbot was able to help save more than people after a fire broke out in a residence, FOX 13 reported.
After the occupants of the home were evacuated by first responders, Talbot noticed an unresponsive cat.
Talbot used an Ambu bag designed for an infant to resuscitate the cat.
The pet was taken to a veterinary hospital and is reportedly expected to make a full recovery.
Ohio cop builds relationships on the court
DAYTON, Ohio — Dayton Police Officer Mark Orick bonds with kids in his community through basketball, FOX 45 reported.
Orick uses his basketball skills from college to help coach others on how to shoot hoops.
Parents have taken notice of Orick’s dedication to connecting with children and told the news site the impromptu games make kids feel safe.
“Some of them [cops] do have big hearts and they care about the children in their community. I think that was great,”Terri Owensby, a mother of some of the children involved, told the publication.
Iowa cop ‘dresses up’ for morning commuters
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Officer Glenn Kieler makes people smile on their morning commute by dressing up in a new costume every day, KCRG reported.
The 27-year veteran first got the idea during a holiday a couple of years ago, when he got an usually high-amount of honks and waves after dressing up for the occasion.
“I try to make it a little exciting for the kids and for the parents,” Kieler told the publication. “I didn’t want them to get used to just seeing an officer standing out there waving his arms around. It‘s great to show the kids, hey, you can have fun doing your job.”
To passersby, the morning fashion show gets them through the busy traffic in a good mood and shows that cops care.
“It shows that not all cops are bad,” driver Amanda Regennitter told the publication. “And in the news right now, there’s a lot of stuff about cops being bad. To me it’s kind of neat.”
Utah deputies buy girl new skateboard after theft
(Utah County Sheriff’s Office Image)
EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Utah — When ninth-grader Kaylie discovered her skateboard was stolen, she went to file a report and met Utah County Sheriff’s Deputy John Thomas, KSL reported.
Thomas checked in with the family periodically to gather more information. Unknown to the family, the officer’s motives were to research and purchase Kaylie a new board identical to the stolen one.
Kaylie and her family were surprised and appreciative when officers arrived to present the teenager with a new board.
“Right when I saw it I just stopped talking and I was just speechless and smiling,” Kaylie said to the publication.
Off-duty Ala. deputy helps new mom mow her lawn
Y’all I thought I was about to get in trouble or something for baby wearing while mowing but this sweet sheriff stopped and insisted on mowing my yard for me!!
Posted by Rachael Godsey Brindley on Monday, September 14, 2015
HARVEST, Ala. — When Rachael Brindley was approached by a deputy as she was attempting to mow her lawn with her 4-month-old baby strapped to her in a carrier, she expected to be in trouble, she wrote in a Facebook post.
To her surprise, the off-duty Madison County sheriff’s deputy helped her finish mowing the lawn, AL.com reported.
“It really surprised me. You don’t see this kind of random act of kindness every day,” Rachael’s husband, Ryan Brindley, said to the publication.
Rachael posted the incident on her Facebook and overnight had more than 5,000 shares.
In order to protect his privacy, the Brindleys haven’t publicly named the deputy, but they want people to know about the generous act.
“We’re glad to see the community sharing good stories about our men in blue,” Ryan told AL.com. “Not all their stores are bad. They could use our appreciation.”