Meet Officer Zimmerman, a police officer for the Milwaukee Police Department. During a recent traffic stop, Officer Zimmerman went above and beyond the call of duty to help a struggling young mother named Andrella Jackson and her children. You see, Officer Zimmerman pulled Andrella over, and upon walking up to her vehicle, he noticed that her two children were not properly restrained in the back seat. He knew it was a violation and that the children would be endangered in a car accident. However, upon speaking with Andrella, Officer Zimmerman learned that Andrella was financially struggling and was saving up for coats and boots for the winter for her children, and therefore, car seats were too expensive for her at the time. Rather than making things worse for her, Officer Zimmerman went beyond the call of duty and decided to purchase two car seats and install them in the car for her children. Officer Zimmerman knew that serving Andrella with a citation would only make her financial situation worse and even more difficult for her to purchase car seats for her children. By watching the video above, you can see how this situation unfolded during the traffic stop and Officer Zimmerman’s actions.
Often, we only hear negative things about Police Officers. So, when I heard about Officer Zimmerman’s actions and how he went above and beyond the call for Andrella and her family, I was both impressed and inspired, and knew I had to share it. Secondly, when Officer Zimmerman was interviewed by the local media, he made two statements that remained with me. First, he said that he was a father himself and that he had a genuine concern for the safety of Andrella’s children. He knew that if they were in a motor vehicle accident, and the kids were not properly restrained in car seats, tragedy would hit this young family. Secondly, when he was asked why he did what he did, he answered, “I was just doing my job!”. Both statements reveal that Officer Zimmerman is a kind man who had a genuine concern for the safety of Andrella’s children. True kindness, to me, is doing something for someone else and expecting nothing in return. Not because it feels good, but because it is the right thing to do. Often, we focus too much on the negative and not enough on the positive. So, let’s change the paradigm and follow Officer Zimmerman’s example and be truly kind to those around us. And lastly, let’s share these stories of kindness with each other. Together, we can all make a difference.