HERO COPS is a place to view, share, comment and donate to empower the first responder.
Evolution of HERO COPS
Greetings,
I’ve had this idea developing in my head for about 2 years or so.
I’d really like your feedback and referrals to both front line cops as well as management to flesh out the viability to figure out to move forward or not.
I was inspired when I heard this story a few years ago.
The encounter Lavante Dell had with Officer Scaglione of the Westland Police Department in Michigan changed his life.
When Officer Scaglione pulled Levante Dell over for tinted windows and noticed his young daughter in the back seat without a car seat, he asked why. Levante shared that he was having financial problems and wage garnishments.
Officer Josh Scaglione, who was a teen father as well, rather than citing him asked Levante to follow him to Walmart where he bought him a car seat!
WITH HIS OWN MONEY!
Not wanting any recognition, Officer Scaglione disappeared as Levante was putting the car seat in place!
Levante wanting to recognize Officer Scaglione writes a FACEBOOK meme and it goes viral and gets over 1,000,000 views and counting!
I was so touched by this heroic act of kindness and couldn’t get it out of mind. My thoughts that followed over time…
- I’d like to donate to that car seat for Levante and his daughter!
- Law enforcement represents me!
- Cops are the first responders in the majority of encounters in our society.
- Law enforcement men and women are on budgets like the majority of us.
- Cops nationwide do heroic acts of kindness regularly that are un-noticed.
- Mainstream media’s ‘if it bleeds it leads’ and negative narrative to often prevail.
- Positive stories are needed to push back against the often bias coverage.
- How could I be a part of this heroic act of kindness?
- The idea of a ‘petty cash’ fund for first responders who spend their own money to pay them back to empower and repeat another discretionary heroic act of kindness..
- Meeting a need at point of encounter often can saves untold resources in the bureaucracy referral system.
THESE THOUGHTS DEVELOPED INTO THIS IDEA/STRATEGY.
Create a platform herocops.us (in development/ pre-launch) where law enforcement personnel can submit their story and provide a mechanism for the public “we the people” to view, share, donate to a fund that would payback legitimate and verified acts with a type of affiliate account to draw upon.
This could be a DISRUPTIVE model that reduces some of the bureaucracy log jam in meeting needs at the point of encounter.
This allows the judgement of the frontline first responder the discretionary choice base on their common sense.
My hunch is that the act of heroism/ kindness will touch ‘we the peoples’ hearts to donate toward this.
This model connects “we the people” directly to the first responder encounter.
This model empowers the positive narrative around law enforcement at a time its needed in our culture.
Our culture needs more HEROS!
This strategy will infuse a resurgent meaning to PROTECT AND SERVE.
Here is the clip that inspired me.
Here is the website (prelaunch) I’m developing. herocops.us is a project of 501-c3 non profit Soul-utions registered I’m CA.
I’d love for your feedback on the concept.
Plus, if you know other front lines cops, I’d like to get their take on this idea to see if it is a viable strategy to move forward with.
Many thanks.
Respectfully,
Dan Hare
760-908-6059
CONTACT: herocops@gmail.com,
P.S. Here are a few more links of heroic acts of kindness.
feedback
Good Morning Daniel,
Thanks for reaching out. Great idea and as you said, needed! I’d be happy to call you to discuss at your convenience. At first thought, I think it would be best for you to work with the San Diego Police Foundation on this but we can talk in more detail later.
Respectfully,
Larry
San Diego Police Department
Larry Turner (leturner@pd.sandiego.gov)