In today’s news and media, we are constantly shown the negative actions of police forces around the world. This is a good thing as for too long these positions have used their power to inflict untold horrors onto numerous minorities who did not deserve it. The Black Lives Matter movement has shone a light on a problem that must be solved. It is important to note that not all police officers are doing wrong though. While the statistics show that the discrimination taking place is not a small problem, they also show that it not every police officer who is involved. While reform is needed it will be achieved by removing those who are committing these atrocities and promoting those who are performing well. With that in mind, we wanted to share a story of three police officers doing good.
Lt. Louis Sojo and Officers Esanidy Cuevas and Michael Rivera are three police officers who you may never hear about again but there small act of kindness shows that not all people in a position of power will use it do wrong. These three officers were on a break and in a grocery store on a hot July 4th. They were getting something to eat and refreshment to drink. As they entered the store they were approached by shop security to ask for their assistance in dealing with a situation.
The men were brought to a woman who had been caught for shoplifting. She was guilty. She had been caught outside the store with goods she had not paid for and the security was ready to hand her over to the police. The three police looked inside the bag to see what she had stolen and only found cans of food. This was no mastermind crime.
As the police continued to look through the bag to see if anything else was taken the woman uttered under her breath “I’m hungry”. This was a crime of necessity not for any other reason. The three officers without consulting offered to pay for the woman’s groceries. They each chipped in $10 and covered the entire bill. As tears rolled down her face she was filled with gratitude for the incredible gift she had been giving. It was worth far more than $30.
The three officers could have arrested her, they could have given her a permanent record, they could have left her hungry, they could have embarrassed her by taking her out in handcuffs. Instead, they took the opportunity to take some stress away from the woman, to look at her as a human who was suffering, and to help.
The story went viral because some shoppers nearby took pictures and started to share them online. The three officers have since been highlighted as an example of what it means to be modern police in a community. A rule book should not be used as a stick to beat people with but as a guideline to understand and assist society.
These three officers clearly understand what it means to be police and if more people started to understand that we may have less trouble with the police in the future. The Black Lives Matter movement is necessary. The evils of people in power have gone on too long unabated and it is time that society stood up and said no more. At the same time, we must not forget what we are looking for as an end result. We still want police. We want police that will work with society. We want police that will not show discrimination. Perhaps some of these good police are already out there and we need to do a better job to find them and praise them.
