Canton Officers Buy Food For Children Going Hungry

CANTON, GA -- A routine call from 911 dispatchers led Canton police officers to engage in an act of kindness for children facing a dire situation inside a residence.

Officers with the Canton Police Department recently came out of their own pockets to purchase food for children following a domestic dispute earlier this week, the agency said on its Facebook page.

The unfortunate situation came to light when officers were dispatched to a call of a domestic dispute around 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 5. When they arrived on the scene, the children "told us how the argument started over there not being groceries in the home, and that there hadn't been any for nearly two weeks," said Canton officer Mary Turner.

Unable to leave without providing for the children, the officers came together and purchased food for the little ones in the home. A birthday cake was also purchased for one of the children, the agency stated.

This wasn't the first time Canton officers have made such an effort. Tuner said officers have made several other "acts of kindness" in the pass, but none have garnered as much attention such as this most recent good deed.

"All officers at the city of Canton Police Department care about our citizens and community, and any other officer would have done the same if they were in the same situation," she added.

The Canton Police Department has made a concerted effort over the two years to promote its community policing efforts. Some of these initiatives include Coffee With A Cop sessions, hosting unity meetings, Police in the Park events, reading to children during summer break and meeting and greeting children and adults in their neighborhoods.

In March, it also launched a community survey to gather feedback on the department.

"The act of kindness not only increases trust, but it also shows this family that not only did the police protect them during a bad situation, but the police went out of their way to make sure that they were taken care of and was there for them in a time of need," Turner added. "Incidents like this happen all around the world but they just do not get recognized as much because officers look at the situation as just doing their everyday job."

Turner said she hopes instances such as Monday's unfortunate find will show the public that officers are "human, too."

"Officers not only want to protect their community but they want to be there for them no matter what they are going through," she added.

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Image via Canton Police Department