by Kris Hauser
According to the anti-police narrative, the men and women in blue are racist and abusive. Yet the reality is very different: With few exceptions, police officers, like most other Americans, abhor racial hatred and the trampling of basic rights. They wear the badge, not to inflict harm upon their fellow citizens, but to protect and serve.
Despite the false major-media narrative, many Americans still view their police as peace officers, fellow citizens, and friends. Yet others have been swayed by the propaganda to varying degrees, causing distrust, tension, and fear, and creating a barrier between them and the police.
Yet the positive, everyday attitudes and actions of police officers not only dispel the false, anti-police narrative but can and do help to remove barriers and restore trust. Countless examples could be pointed to, big and small. The following inspiring story of a voluntary deed that clearly fell outside a generous police officer’s job description is illustrative.
Act of Kindness From a Brother in Blue
This story takes place before Christmas, five days before Christmas to be exact. People are in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of the season. Some people are making sure they have all their gift purchases taken care of; some are putting the finishing touches on decorating; some are completing the baking of holiday goodies; and some people are getting groceries for their Christmas dinner.
Matt Lima, a Somerset, Massachusetts, police officer, responded to a call at a local Stop & Shop. He was responding to a call about a shoplifting incident. When Officer Lima arrived at the store, he was told that two young women with two young children had shoplifted several items. It seems they had gone to a self-checkout kiosk to purchase their groceries and left the store without scanning several items that were in the shopping cart.
Officer Lima took the two women aside and discovered that they had fallen on difficult times. The mother of the children was out of work and had some family issues going on at this time. The items she had not paid for were for the Christmas dinner she wanted to prepare for her children.
Officer Lima decided not to press criminal charges; however, he did serve both of them a Notice Not To Trespass form.
“The two children with the women reminded me of my kids, so I had to help them out,” Officer Lima stated. What he did next was above and beyond; he purchased gift cards in the amount of $250 with his own money so the women could get the groceries needed in order to make their Christmas dinner.
Police Chief George McNeil said, “This incident is a true testament of Officer’s Lima’s great character and decision making.” “I would personally like to commend Officer Lima for his actions,” Chief McNeil said. “They exemplify what it means to protect and serve the members of our community. When faced with a difficult situation in which a family was trying to provide a meal for their kids, he made the generous decision to not press charges and instead ensured that they would have a Christmas dinner they could enjoy.”
Thank you, Officer Lima, for your compassionate heart. And thanks to all other officers — and there are many — who have also performed acts of kindness to assist those in need that oftentimes are not reported.