***Community Policing***
On February 18, 2017 Officer Milton was dispatched to a local Family Dollar where the business was holding a twelve year-old female for shoplifting. Officer Milton arrived and asked the young lady why she was shoplifting. The girl told Officer Milton that she was trying to take the pair of $2.00 shoes home because her five year old sister needed them and she could not afford to pay for the shoes.
After speaking with the young lady Officer Milton was ...curious to see what the girls living conditions were like so he took her home. The girl was the oldest of four children; their ages ranging from newborn to 12 and their living conditions were poor. There were not enough beds for all of the children, the only furniture in the house was an old sofa and there was not much food in the home. The mother explained to Officer Milton that she did not work because she could not afford daycare for the smaller children. She also explained that her husband works in and out of town but does not make much money.
Officer Milton was sympathetic to the family’s situation and felt that he needed to do something. He advised DFACS of the situation to find out if a social worker could assist the family with their living situation. He also purchased four pizzas and two large beverages for the family that he paid for and delivered on his own. The family expressed sincere and genuine gratitude for Officer Milton’s unsolicited act of kindness. Officer Milton did not help this family in hopes of receiving any recognition. In fact, another officer came forward to commend Officer Milton. The way that Officer Milton handled this incident showed that not only is he here to enforce the law but also to go the extra mile and be a bigger part of the community he is policing.