BEHIND THE BADGE

The holidays bring out the best in most people, and the Raleigh Police Department is no exception. Members of the Department participated in several charitable events during the 2017 holiday season.

Thanks-N-Giving

Thanksgiving came early for 10 young people and their families who participated in “Thanks-N-Giving,” a partnership program between the Raleigh Police Department and Kroger supermarket on Creedmoor Road. On November 19, each family received a $100 gift certificate to help cover the cost of food items for holiday meals. Officers in the Youth Services Unit selected the recipient families, and the program is expected to expand in 2018.

Twitter: @raleighpolice Facebook: RaleighPoliceDepartment

Contact: Denise F. Robinson l 919.996.4672 l denise.robinson@raleighnc.gov February 15, 2017

A Season of Giving

Pictured: Gift card recipients and their families, Kroger representatives, RPD officers and staff

__________________________________________________________________

Meadow Lights Show

The Meadow Lights have attracted visitors from near and far for more than 40 years; it is the largest and oldest Christmas light show in Eastern North Carolina. On December 1, more than 60 participants from the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources (PCRC) Department’s Community After-School Program (CAP) traveled to the community of Meadow to see the brilliant lights, carousel, trains, and other holiday attractions. While the lights are the highlight of the night, the pizza dinner and visit to The Old Country Store to buy candy and trinkets are quickly becoming favorites as well. This is the fourth year the Department has taken youth to the light show. Sergeant R.R. Lockhart, retired RPD youth mentors, and PCRC staff accompanied the young people.

______________________________________________________________

Shop with a Cop

The annual “Shop with a Cop” event is not only a great treat for local youth, but it is also a rewarding experience for members of the Raleigh Police Department. On December 2, RPD officers, staff, and volunteers joined more than 40 youth at Walmart at Brier Creek to shop for Christmas. This year’s event was sponsored by CPI Security Systems, Spectrum, the Blue Knights NC II, and Walmart at Brier Creek. The young shoppers were extremely excited to shop for themselves, and they also found a way to buy items for family members. The RPD “Shop with a Cop” program began in 2005 and continues to help foster positive relationships between officers and local youth. This year’s participants were either referred by a school counselor or selected from RPD Youth and Family Services programs or Raleigh Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources programs.

Retired Captain Jackson with CAP participants.

Retired Detective Passley with a CAP participant.

Photos courtesy of Sergeant R.R. Lockhart

________________________________________________________________________________________

Bicycle Give-Away

Many in the community want to give back, but don’t know exactly what to do or how to reach recipients. This past holiday season when Sun Tan City owner Andrew Adair and his staff found themselves in that predicament, they partnered with the Raleigh Police Department and provided more than 50 bicycles for deserving young people in the community. The bicycle giveaway was held December 16, and is the first of what will be an annual event. The smiles on the faces of the young people, RPD officers, retired RPD youth mentors, and the Sun Tan City staff say it all – there was joy all around!

________________________________________________________________________________________

The Giving Tree

The Youth Services Unit also sponsored the “Giving Tree.” Participants were referred by Department personnel, with the majority being part of the 2017 Youth and Family Services summer programs. Each participant had a tag on the “Giving Tree” that included his or her name and a list of desired items. Employees from across the Department selected a name from the tree and bought items listed on the tags as gifts. At the wrapping party held on December 16, members of the Department and parents of the recipients interacted as they wrapped the beautiful gifts.

Photo courtesy of Sergeant R.R. Lockhart

__________________________________________________________________

Volleyball with Vets

On December 19, officers from across the Department participated in Volleyball with Vets, and Chief Deck-Brown stopped by the game to cheer everyone on. Games are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month between September and May. This form of volleyball is played while sitting, and helps the injured vets participate in healthy physical activity while connecting with others in the community. The Raleigh Police Department began its partnership with the program in May 2017.

The local program was initiated about six years ago by USA Volleyball for people with disabilities to train in the sport. The Triangle Volleyball Club, Inc. took the lead in putting a seated volleyball program together. Activities were coordinated with the VA and the local Paralympic Sport Club. Veterans come from across the state to participate in the games and tournaments. This activity provides outpatient recreational therapy for the participants and helps to ease symptoms of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Photo courtesy of Senior Officer S.M. Martin

____________________________________________________________________________

Relief for Puerto Rico

2017 was a great year for many of us, but it was also one of tragedy and great loss for others. In September, 300,000 homes in Puerto Rico were destroyed due to Hurricane Maria, leaving many homeless. Today, the majority of those residents are still in dire need.

Many of you showed kindness and generosity by donating items to the Department’s Relief for Puerto Rico effort held from December 28 to January 24. Each district designated a collection area, and everything from bed linens, clothes, and protein bars to work gloves, batteries, and water was donated by RPD staff. At the end of January, the donated items were picked up from the North District by Rev. Rodriguez and members of Catch the Fire Church to be transported to Puerto Rico.

The photos below show Sergeant E. Garcia, Detective G. Mendez, Senior Officer M.L. Lopez, and Officer J.M Ortiz as they inventory and box the donated items.

________________________________________________________________________________________

raleighnc.gov/police

Local children took time to make a large thank-you note, which they presented to Captain Murr. The smiles on the youngsters’ faces show their appreciation for the repairs made to their school. Much was done by the group during their time in Puerto Rico, but there is still much left to do.

Photos courtesy of Captain R.A. Murr

Captain R.A. Murr of the Detective Division made the hurricane relief effort personal and traveled to Puerto Rico in October 2017 with a group of men from Faith Baptist Church in Knightdale. The group had partial power from a generator and slept in a damaged building, but they did not let that stop their efforts. They were able to perform some demolition of destroyed buildings and made a variety of repairs to others. The work was hard and was done in hazardous conditions.