Note: we are republishing this story in light of recent reports across the country that suggest more and more Americans are having positive interactions with police officers despite changing attitudes about police departments and wider conversation about police reform.
A pair of deputies from Brevard County, Florida, received praise for assisting a family that seemed to be down on its luck.
Two police officers in the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Sean Cronin and Field Training Officer Anthony Gonnelly, noticed that a mother and her family were going through hard times during a stop for a minor traffic violation in Cocoa, Florida, WOFL reported.
The officers then decided to help the struggling family out.
They contacted the county’s Community Services Team to ask for help in obtaining a car seat and purchasing household groceries for the family.
Two staff members helped them find a car seat and then went grocery shopping.
The items were delivered to the grateful family later that same day.
Although the car seat was donated, the officers reportedly paid for the groceries out of their own pockets.
“It is actions like this and many others that make me so proud of the men and women of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office who do everything they can to protect our community,” Sheriff Wayne Ivey wrote in a post on the department’s Facebook page.
Commenters responding to the post praised the officers’ thoughtful actions.
“Thank you to the deputies and the CSU team for doing the right thing and helping someone in need,” one person wrote.
“Thanks to very these awesome deputies!!!” another commented. “Just shows what they are made of…Very compassionate and caring!!”
“So proud to be a resident of Brevard County where our sheriff’s dept is always doing great things for our community,” another posted.
The post received more than 2,000 likes and 400 shares in six days.
Sources: WOFL, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
