Every year my unit adopts several low income families (children) and arrange for various local businesses to donate toys, clothes and such so we can deliver them on Christmas Eve. We get the familes info from School Officers, who have regular contact with the kids and know who is really in need and who is not...

This year started fine and yesterday I go into the office to begin wrapping the presents and notice a recap from this morning indicating a family with 3 kids was burgalrized this morning and the fucktards took all of the Christmas presents from under the tree, their PS 2 and DVD player. So I get assigned this family and am asked to do what I can for them. This was at 6:30 pm, and Wal-Mart and most other stores closed at six. So I attempt to contact various managers/RP's for the closed businesses and get a hold of my local Target manager, on her cell phone.

I plead the case to the lady, stated who I was and what we were interested in, looking for ANY help they could provide for these three kids. This broad flatly stated that she would "love to help" but had no one in the store, except herself. (In the cash office, probably counting the hundreds of thousands she pulled in that day.) I asked her to repeat herself, and she told me the store was closed, this was her personal cell phone and although she would like to assist, had no one in the store. Everybody was gone.....  Instead of speaking what I felt I ended the call politely and tried several other businesses. I was unable to get any humans at any other stores. So, I tell my Sgt. that I am going to my home to retireve my DVD player (which is underused anyway) and would be back shortly. While enroute (the drive takes 40 minutes, even in a company car) I message all of patrol with the story and start getting patrolmen who will pony up some cash. I learn from my dispatch that the local Hasting's store is still open and get the number.

I call them and plead the same case, stressing that these kids had all their shit stolen... I get some low level mgr. who refers me to another. This mid level one states I'll need to talk to the senior Mgr, who has left for the day. I ask if they can get a hold of the Sr. person and got shot down. I ask if there is anything they can do, like discounts on products (I mentioned that a patrolman was enroute already) and was told they could not do that without authorization from the Sr. mgr... About this time I am friggin fuming pissed and in disbelief that these gastropods can sit here all day, milking the public of their funds and refuse to help some kids at a time they need it most.... So, instead of telling her what I felt I ended the call politely (for some reason I told her "Thanks for your help".) and told the patrolmen who was enroute to the store to disregard, they were not willing to help.

I get to my house and get my DVD player and MP3 player and head back to the city. On the way back I learn dispatch has gotten about $100 together and was sending one to the Hasting's store to pick up some stuff. I tell them that I was not too keen on buying shit from Hasting's based upon their BS refusal to help but was told it was either them or a a Save On next door, those were the only stores still open...

Little did I know that the patrolmen I sent to Hastings went anyways and bought $50 in gift cards for the kids, and somehow managed to squeeze the store for a $25 card donation (better than nothing but Jesus Christ.....) Save On was glad to help, and only asked for a card with the burglary case number on it so they could show the mgr the goods were not taken for some BS reason.

End story is, I did not have to give up my DVD player or MP3 player because of the fine folks I work with. And the moral of the story is the kids got a fine Christmas after all, the officers who took the report ponied up for a new PS2, dispatch go the kids all sorts of stuff and several patrolmen on my unit ponied up $200 or so for stuff for the kids. Top it off with the $25 from Hastings and a fair amount from Save On and the kids did just fine.

I know what stores to avoid in the future and at least one I'll frequent.

Does you PBA maintain funds for such things?  If not, you should consider it.  The other alternative is to have your community police officer organize a citizen's effort.  Set up a seperate 501C3 for tax purposes.

Regards,
Gary

I agree with you, some people just suck.

You are a good man though, sir. If you could use a $20 Best Buy gift card and some other stuff, IM me an address.

Quoted: Does you PBA maintain funds for such things?  If not, you should consider it.  The other alternative is to have your community police officer organize a citizen's effort.  Set up a seperate 501C3 for tax purposes. Regards, Gary

We do, however this was a "learn about it it a 6:00 pm and get them gifts by 10:00 mission". We did good afterall.

Next year I will be better prepared with PBA funds at the ready. Good tip.

Quoted: I agree with you, some people just suck. You are a good man though, sir. If you could use a $20 Best Buy gift card and some other stuff, IM me an address.

We got them taken care, but thanks for the offer. BTW, my Sgt. gave me a $20 Best Buy card....

What? I thought you LEO's where just there to harass fellow gun owners.


Yep, people freaken suck. No doubt about it.

But you guys done good though, hats off to you and your fellow officers man. Above and beyond the call for sure......

God Bless you for your tireless efforts.


One would think that the holidays bring out the best in people.  Yet another example of the opposite (those store workers).

Quoted: Good job, and +1 on keeping track of business that help.  Subway and McDonalds will feed any child I take into emergency coustody (on child abuse/nelgect cases) every time. Art in KY

You know, it's these little acts of human kindness that make the differnce.  Sadly, they never see the light of day.  Instead we are bombarded by all of societies evils.  No wonder most folks have just plain given up.  There is more good out there than most people relize.

Regards,
Gary

Nice Job! Next time Target's loss prevention guys are chasing a shoplifter finish your coffee or head there the long way.

As my father has always said, "It's a shitty, shitty world full of shitty, shitty people." Amen.

Congratulations on the success despite the obstacles of human indifference.

Dude, while I applaud your valliant efforts to replace these unlucky childrens toy's the store managers have heard it all before and simply cannot "help" everybody out.

As a business owner myself I can tell you that I could do charity work from morning to night every single day of the year and never even put a dent in the "needs" I hear about.

Lighten up will ya.

You want to help, fine then help but don't piss on the rest of us with your holier than thou attitude mmmmk? I gave at the office, my home, at church and the red bucket in front of Wal-Mart this year.

Good for you

It amazes me how petty some people become

I hope santa shit in their stocking

That was a fine thing to do AZ-K9. We do the Blue Santa thing here which is similar to what you were doing.
In defense of Target, they do contribute a lot to LE in the way of grants and donations. We have a good relationship with them here and they did give a lot of toys for our program.
People do suck. And we get to deal with it. Such is the job.
You have a good heart and gained some positive Karma.

You should write a letter to the National Headquartes for Target and let them know that they were the store you called upon to spend YOUR money at when there was a family in need and the Manager gave you the cold shoulder.  

I would bet that it wouldn't happen again