Today at my station, an elderly woman handed me $3 in change for her gas pump. A police officer standing behind her overheard and noticed she was leaning on a cane, struggling to make her way back to her car.
He stepped outside, told her to rest in the car, and began pumping the gas for her. As they talked, he learned she was in a difficult situation—her $3 wouldn’t take her far, and money was tight. Her husband had recently passed, leaving her to cover all the bills on her own, and every month she was falling behind.
Quietly, the officer came back inside, pulled $20 from his own pocket, and went back out to fill her tank. That small act meant she wouldn’t run out of gas that day—and it meant someone cared enough to help.
We don’t always hear these kinds of stories about officers. The headlines often focus on the negative, but the truth is, many put their hearts into the job. They leave their families each day to protect ours, running toward danger when others run away.
To the men and women in blue—thank you for your service, your compassion, and your quiet acts of kindness.