In general, all employees of a police force are charged with prevention, detention, and reporting of crime, and the maintenance of public order. To serve and protect is what we often hear, and the protection of the general public is the most important, indeed.

There has been a lot of discussion about police officers lately, especially after the George Floyd case. However, most policemen do their job impeccably, and there is generally a compassionate, courageous heart behind the badges. The most recent example of this kindheartedness was in Coral Springs Florida.

A three-car accident sounds horrible on its own, but things can get twice as complicated if children are involved.

Aside from physical injuries, such an event can cause severe psychological traumas. Therefore, treating a child after the accident requires a lot of love, patience, and empathy. Janet Balestriero grew up in Palm Springs and now lives in Pompano Beach, was headed home after the doctor’s appointment when a car crash happened.

It involved two more vehicles but wasn’t as serious as it might sound. The intersection of University Drive and Riverside Drive was soon flooded with police officers. Not long after, Janet was distracted with something she had to capture on camera.

One police officer patiently took care of a little kid who was nervous after being in an accident.

The little boy was visibly shaken, but a policeman did the right thing. He took the kid’s hand and led him to a street curb, where they both sat. The officer calmly talked to a boy, asking him about his favorite Disney character.

They also played with the kid’s firetruck toy, and the child soon felt a lot better. He spoke to the officer and even smiled a bit.

Janet said that “it was an act of kindness,” and she decided to share it on Coral Springs Police Department Facebook page

“Car Accidents can be scary… especially when it’s your first,” said Janet in a post. She also added: “I found myself smiling at that scene wondering if anyone else even noticed this Officer’s kindness.”

Well, more than 1K people have noticed it now, after seeing this Facebook post. It was shared close to six hundred times, and more than a hundred people commented on the beautiful scene. One user commented: “Thank you officer for your act of kindness, although you probably thought nothing of it. Just calming and reassuring a little boy! A compassionate heart you have sir!”

Brian Dougherty is the officer in the photo.

Coral Springs PD confirmed that the officer is Brian Dougherty, who has been with the department since 2016. He’s also a member of the department’s SWAT team.

Clyde Perry, Coral Springs Police Chief, humbly said, “[We’re] so proud of our officers. Things like this happen often, but are rarely reported on.”

We’re glad that no one was seriously hurt, and seeing an officer having such a great approach with the little kid amazed us all. Balestriero is completely right when she says: “I try to find a little kindness every day in a world that’s gone crazy.”

And that’s not all

After posting about officer Brian on Facebook, Janet plans to do something else in his honor. She is involved in the Kindness Rock Project, that encourages people to paint different kind messages on stones. Then those rocks are left everywhere, for other people to find and collect.

A member of Janet’s group plans to dedicate a stone to the kind officer. He’ll paint a little Disney character on it and write officer Dougherty’s badge number. Then they’ll leave it at the Coral Springs PD. “A single act of kindness can have a ripple effect,” says Balestriero.

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Source: ParentingIsntEasy; Facebook; Pixabay