Police officers in the City of Rome, New York took their commitment in serving the public to a whole new level.
One officer, Aaron Page, was out patrolling the streets when he met a homeless man who was desperate for some help. Asking him to check into the department the next day, Page prepared a huge surprise that would make him feel like a whole new man!
Meeting the man, named Bobby, on a Monday, Page asked him to come into the station the next morning.
But unlike some of the other visitors of the Rome Police Department station, Bobby’s visit would be a sweet surprise.
The fabulous four
When he arrived on Tuesday morning, he was met by a team of four – Officers Page, Buckley, George Gebo and Sgt. Frank Fragapane – who were geared up for Bobby’s extreme makeover.
The men collected some donated clothing and Page brought in a pair of clippers to give Bobby a fresh shave and a haircut.
“We are always trying to come up with new ideas of how to help and give back to our community,” Buckley said of working together to give Bobby a second chance at life. “Officer Page spearheaded the idea on this one and it was a great way to help someone who simply needed a hand.”
Meanwhile, Rome PD posted the story on Facebook and added photos of Bobby’s transformation to share with the community.
The first photos show Bobby with a shaggy beard, a dirty baseball cap resting on top of his overgrown hair, and shabby old clothing cloaked over his body.
In one photo, fans can also see a humble Officer Page on his knees, helping the man put on his new red sneakers. The final images show Bobby all cleaned up, with a fresh new trim and a clean face.
The post reads: “Rome PD giving back and providing a helping hand. After some interaction with a man down on his luck, Bobby, said he’d love a haircut and warm shower. Through the efforts of Officer Page, we were able to make that happen.” The post continues, “This morning we provided Bobby with a haircut, a shave, a shower and a whole new wardrobe of donated clothing. Bobby left looking like a whole new person and couldn’t thank us enough.”
Netizens gushed over the police department’s makeover of Bobby, praising officers for giving the man the boost of confidence he needed.
One shares, “God Bless You For what you did for this man. Sometimes a person can just become so depressed or down and out that they want to give up. I know that this man felt like a Shiny Penny when he left.”
A second writes, “Because of your kindness and compassion, you made a world of difference to this man. I bet he walked out of there feeling like a million dollars, thanks to you guys.”
A third, commenting on the officer’s gentle treatment of the man, adds, “I love how tender and caring you all were with him. I have always backed the blue, but this is still awesome to see!”
Before signing off the comment with a joke, another writes, “Thank you for your kindness and compassion! And when these guys are ready to retire from police work, I know an awesome salon that would love to hire them…nice skills!”
Police officers are so incredible in how they interact with the community – there is so much goodness behind everything they do!
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