Rookie Officer Bennett Johns responded to a call from a Maryland grocery store, where he learned that a 20-year-old mother tried to shoplift diapers for her baby, but was caught by security.
A statement from the Laurel Police Department explained that “After she purchased some groceries she did not have enough money left over to buy the diapers,” the statement continued: “Officer Johns considered the situation and then made the decision to purchase the diapers out of his own pocket so that the young child would not suffer.
“Though we often joke that our field trainees are still in diapers, it turns out that rookie Officer Johns was not buying these for himself,” the Laurel Police Department wrote in a Facebook post.
The Laurel Police Department told the press that the officer “did cite this young woman for shoplifting, but we referred her to social services because we wanted to make sure she and her toddler were taken care of.”
Officer Johns is being lauded for not only following the law, but for showing compassion for the young woman an her son in their time of need. Audrey Barnes, City of Laurel Director of Communications, said of Johns that “He is very humble and didn’t do it for the praise, he did it because it was the right thing to do—and we’re so proud of him.”
The officer has only been on the job for four months. Barnes adds that Laurel police officers do things that go unrecognized every day, and they do it anyway. Johns’ actions demonstrate the department’s push for its officers to establish meaningful relationships with residents even when there is no crisis happening.
Barnes continues: “It’s about community policing, it’s not just about when things are tough, you have to establish these relationships every single day. Those children, the younger ones, if we can get them engaged with our officers in a positive way, the better off our community is in the long run.”
Since it was posted on the department’s Facebook page, many commenters are also applauding the officer for helping out the child. One wrote, “Officer Johns is a great cop and great man. Compassion is one of the traits officers have but seldom get recognized for. Thank you sir, for your service.” People are now offering to help the mother out by donating diapers.