Calgary officer applauded after candid snapshot shared on Twitter
Posted October 29, 2018 3:46 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CALGARY (CITYNEWS) – A split second captured in a photo has Calgarians commending a local police officer for his actions.
In the photo, the unknown officer is down on his knees appearing to speak to a homeless woman. The snapshot was posted on Twitter on Saturday and has been widely shared.
The amount of respect @CalgaryPolice Officer had for this homeless lady today humbled me to a different level today. He gave her his time and respect ????. “Your job gives your authority, or actions give you respect”. #calgarypolice #yyc @CalgaryPolice #respect pic.twitter.com/ibx0Z85q2y
— Josh West (@Joshwest28) October 28, 2018
The Twitter user, Josh, applauded the officer who showed the woman respect, saying it humbled him to a different level. The post ended with the quote, “Your job gives you authority, actions give you respect.”
Calgary Police say it’s just a glimpse of their everyday interactions with the city’s vulnerable populations.
“We find ourselves in many situations where we can be incredibly proud of our officers in the way they deal with any person from any walk of life,” Staff Sergeant Shawn Wallace told CityNews.
“This happens hourly with our officers because we get the chance to not only look at how to reduce crime and social disorder in the city but how to help people who are maybe in a moment of need.”
Police went looking for the officer in the picture but they weren’t able to find him–Wallace says the officer may not even work here in downtown’s District 1. And while he might not sure what circumstances were surrounding the photo, Wallace says the man’s posture says it all.
“It’s non-confrontational, they’re down to that level so they can talk…it’s mirroring their body language and it’s something that we would expect. It’s how you gain that trust from somebody.”
Police were aware of the photo when CityNews first reached out and they’re still hoping they can identify the officer. Until then, he’s still an unknown CPS member walking among us.
