Somerville Officer Paid For Displaced Family's Hotel Room

SOMERVILLE, MA – A police officer's selfless act earned him honors from the Somerville Police Department. Officer Thomas Lambert received the Beyond the Call of Duty Award for March after paying for a displaced family's hotel rooms.

Police went to a Cypress Street home that had experienced heating and water damage Jan. 24. The house was deemed unsafe, and the family found a hotel room for the evening.

The problems with the home persisted the next day, and the family had exhausted their resources, police said. Lambert used his own money, and his military discount to pay for a double room at the La Quinta Inn for the family.

"Officer Lambert stated, 'We’re all set. I found a place,'" the Somerville Police Department said in a statement. "Thinking the obvious, that he found a shelter, we gave no more thought to the matter. It was not until just before the end of the shift we learned that Officer Lambert's meaning of 'We’re all set' was that he personally secured a room for this family."

The family of five, which included a 7-year-old child, spent the night out of the cold. The department said Lambert refused offers from his colleagues to help with the cost, saying he hoped someone would do the same for him if the situation was reversed.

In awarding Lambert, the department said his act was the "perfect example of what we are all about."

"Sometimes it’s not always about arresting the bad guy," the department said. "Every once in a while, all it takes is a little compassion and human kindness."