Six Dunwoody cops were awarded by the Atlanta Hawks for helping a group of homeless young people, including sending one to see an ailing relative.
The officers were given the True to Atlanta award, presented by the basketball team and Kaiser Permanente. Police found the trio in the area of a business on a cold November night.
The cops pooled cash to send one of them home to see his dying grandfather in Mississippi. For the others, the police solicited donations on Facebook.
“Rather than taking on a hardline approach to the situation, the officers decided to help,” police spokesman Mark Stevens said in a news release. “As expected, the community responded by donating warm clothing items for the two individuals, along with many extra items for the department to provide to others in the future.”
The officers who received the community service award are:
- Sgt. S. Lenahan
- J. Carruth
- J. Hensal
- J. Sanders
- G. Wiencek
- Z. Woodburn
The officers were honored at halftime during a recent Hawks game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Each was presented with a personalized Hawks jersey, and the department received a $1,000 check, which will be donated to Special Olympics Georgia.
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