Above the Call of Duty
as shared by Police Sergeant Frank Ruiz
Police Sergeant Frank Ruiz shared the story below because it made him feel proud to work at the UCSF Police Department:
A troubling call
Officer Barone responded to the call of a woman looking for a police officer at the Parnassus Emergency Department. The mother and her four young children from Illinois had traveled to San Francisco, but after a domestic violence incident with her partner, she was left without shelter and no way to feed her kids.
A hungry family in need
The children were hungry and tired, and there was no easy solution. To help the immediate problem, Officers Barone and Chan pooled their resources to buy the family dinner and relocate them to the Milberry Union conference center to eat, rest, and reduce their stress level.
Seeking safety and shelter
The Officers then dove into the work of coming up with a solution for shelter for the family. They called all known available shelters, all of them full; they were advised to call back in the morning. A visit to the SFPD Park station for help was also met with negative results.
Officers Barone and Chan pooled their money and tried to find hotels available around San Francisco. Due to Pride weekend, there were no vacancies. The Officers then set the family up with blankets and helped put the boys to sleep while continuing to look for placement. Later they learned that the mother would be able to get finances for a train ride back to Illinois in a few days, where they would have shelter and food with relatives. Around 4:30am the next day, they received the good news that a shelter had space and would provide food. The Officers drove the family to the shelter and ensured they were properly placed.
Calming young nerves
The boys told Officer Barone during his time with them that the 5-year-old brother dressed in police uniforms all the time, especially on Halloween. He talked to them about being in the police department and how to become an officer. This relaxed the children, helping them feel safe enough to get some sleep. As Barone and Chan said goodbye, Officer Barone ripped off a uniform patch to give to the 5-year-old a memento of his time with the police. The boy was excited that he had a real police patch and got to spend so much time with police officers.
Heroes without capes
The officers agreed that they became part of the Police Department to help when people needed it most. Officer Chia donated an additional $100 to the family. All three officers took the time and made a difference in the lives of these five people––got them off the streets and on their way to make it home safely. They were heroes!