WESTFIELD–Following incidents in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, St. Paul, Minnesota and Dallas, police have been put in the spotlight–but for the wrong reasons.
But in Westfield the community has reached out to try and show support for their local police department, while Westfield Police maintain that they are simply doing their job and attempt to politely decline the praise.
On local Facebook communities people are getting together to donate meals, gift cards and doughnuts to police, while also sharing their stories of the many appreciative deeds they have done for officers in the city. This all has quickly led to a real-life impact.
Capt. Michael McCabe archive photo from 2013.
“We get the fact that people appreciate us, but we don’t need to be fed or a parade,” Westfield Police Capt. Michael McCabe said. “When we are thanked on the street we understand what that means.”
McCabe said that him and the men and women he serves with didn’t choose to become police officers for appreciation or thanks, but rather to help and protect people, as well as protecting the Constitution and Massachusetts state rights. He said that if police do not help and protect, then no one else will. To him, this is appreciation enough.
Still, people on Facebook and in the community have tried to give thanks in this tumultuous time. Here are a couple of posts from the Westfield Community Forum on Facebook.
From Facebook user “Kim Starsiak”:
Join us on July 21 at the concert on the green in Westfield. We will be having a huge thank you card to show support to the local police departments . We will also be dressing in BLUE to show our continued support and gratitude for their hard work . Hope to see you there !!!!
And from Facebook user “Julie Desharnais”:
I’m posting this on behalf of the Westfield Police Department; I went in today and spoke with some of the officers in dispatch. They said people have been coming in with things here and there but not so much bringing meals. They aren’t saying anything to you, but I know that if you bring food (actual meals not Dunkin Donuts) that would be much more appreciated. They are so much grateful for the generous thoughts & donations but going inbetween shift changes with meals and planning it around then is the best bet…
Other posts included suggesting a parade for police officers, a picture of two children presenting a box of doughnuts to an officer at headquarters and a video explaining to people to “pay it forward” and purchase gift cards for police, then give them the cards when you see them.
One idea that is taking place in the digital world but off Facebook is from the website Take Them a Meal, where Diane Gardner of Westfield set up an account to donate. The website allows people to donate meals to people or groups by signing up for a specific date, then they can either drop off a meal or have one made for donation.
“The reason I did it was so us as a community can show how much we appreciate what they do to keep us safe,” Gardner said about the program. “The sacrifices they make day in and day out go largely unnoticed.”
Gardner said that the idea came from the I Love Westfield Facebook forum, another locally-based community forum. And although the program was set up just two days ago on Sunday, July 10, nine of the first 14 days are already booked with meals. The program will run from July 11 until Sept. 11, but Gardner said the end-date was accidental. Still, she said she is going to keep it for its importance. To donate, visit Gardner’s page at Take Them a Meal.
All of this support has spilled from the digital world into the real world, too. In addition to the card signing going on during Westfield on Weekend’s MusicFest, Collier Fence Company on Southampton Road in Westfield has put a message of support for police on their sign:
Front entrance sign at Collier Fence Company.
Scott Ingalls, manager of Collier Fence, said that he put the message up to combat what he saw as negativity surrounding police, and to also show support for local police.
“I think there has to be a positive aspect for police,” Ingalls said. “You have to get something positive out of this, not the negative all the time. I threw that up there to get people maybe thinking a little bit.”
Ingalls said that this is not normal for him, since he tries to remain apolitical with his advertising.
“We usually put things like if we have a sale on a fence,” he said. “I’ve never put anything up like this but I was inspired by what I saw on TV and to give my opinion on something.”
And Ingalls said that thus far the response has been minimal but positive. He said that no one has come in to comment on the phrase–which was put up Sunday morning–but that employees have heard several car horns as people drive by, which they interpreted as support.
“We have to get together behind this thing. We have to stand together,” Ingalls said.
In spite of all the support that the police have received in such a short time though, Capt. McCabe said that he knows the true meaning behind being a cop, and it isn’t a parade, food or a “thank you” card.
McCabe told a story about two officers who were both within their first two years of being police. They dealt with a disturbance that involved several minor teenagers that happened at around 3 a.m. one morning. The officers sent everyone home and felt that was it.
McCabe said that he brought the two officers into his office and asked them what happened. McCabe, not satisfied with their answers, sent the two officers back to the addresses where the teenagers were sent and were ordered to talk to the parents and offer them help if they need it, as well as to simply talk to them. He felt that their job was to do more than just break up a disturbance, but to provide assistance to those that need it.
“You have no idea today what your potential impact will be 10 years from now,” McCabe said he told the officers. “Those are the things you can’t put a price on.”
