A Peterborough police officer went from the line of duty to the lawn of duty to help a city resident.
Praise and gratitude are pouring in for a Peterborough Police Service officer who in a photo is seen mowing the lawn of a home in the city. The service shared the photo on its Facebook page on Thursday morning, noting the act occurred during a well-being check on a 76-year-old resident.
Police say the officer learned the resident recently had undergone a medical procedure. The resident distraught since they were unable to cut their lawn.
Insp. Jamie Hartnett says the officer spent a few minutes with a lawn mower to tidy up the property.
“(The officer) located the person who was in distress,” said Hartnett. “One of the concerns they were facing was that their lawn was unkempt, and they weren’t able to physically take care of it.
“The officer took the initiative to cut the individual’s lawn. It took them five minutes, put the person at ease. It was just a nice positive story and something that is very refreshing to see from our members.”
Hartnett says he spoke with the officer on Wednesday night about the gesture, noting the service was going to highlight it on its social media platform. Hartnett says the officer does not wish to be identified.
“They weren’t looking for any accolades,” said Hartnett. “They would prefer that their name wasn’t mentioned. It was just an officer doing their job and you would expect others to do the same.”
Hartnett said the act is “not out of the ordinary” for the officer.
“They’re very outgoing. Committed to the community. Very engaged.… I personally think the officer is very kind-hearted,” said Hartnett.
Since the post was made, it has been shared more than 200 times received received dozens of comments praising the officer’s act.
“Our officers sign up – a lot of them do – to make an impact and help out people, and this is just one of those cases where they were allowed to,” said Hartnett.
“A lot of the people that are dealing with the police first-hand, they may not see us in their best light. But we just want to show that we are humans. We do care, and we want to do the best for people and help people out.”
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