Detroit Police Department Cleans Yard For Local Senior In Need Of Help
(CBS DETROIT) - Ivanka Kacir says she lives alone, and it's been a struggle to keep up her property.
"Especially after this big storm we had a few days ago this big tree fell down and it was impossible for me to clean-up everything," Kacir said.
A Detroit Neighborhood Police Officer saw the debris and wanted to offer some help.
"The homeowner attempted to clean-up the area but the project was a little too large for her," said DPD Captain Shanda Starks.
"Officer Powell went to actually meet with the homeowner and realized that she was an elderly person."
Starks says resident complaints about the blight led neighborhood Officer Larissa Powell to organize a clean-up effort to help the Detroit senior.
Wednesday officers from Detroit's 12th Precinct and academy students put in a little sweat and hard work to get Kacir's yard back in compliance.
"The community complained because the house had a lot of debris in the front yard and again her being elderly she did try," Starks explained.
"She made the effort. She ordered the dumpster, she did what she could do."
Starks says this is one example of how community policing bridges the gap between residents and local law enforcement.
"The chief, that's one of the things that he stresses is that he wants the NPOs and the whole entire 12thPrecinct and the police department for that matter to step-in and try to assist people," Starks continued.
"We're not you know just the police, but we want to step-in and let the community know that we're here to assist them as well."
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