Atlanta police Officer Veronica Campbell has dedicated her life to helping others.
So when she met a 29-year-old mother of five looking to escape an abusive relationship and start again, the veteran officer didn’t think twice about giving up her personal SUV.
Campbell’s supervisors say the officer’s decision to donate her vehicle is just the latest in a long line of selfless acts.
Each year, she organizes a toy drive for the families of 50 underprivileged children so they can have gifts to open at Christmas. And when she comes across residents in need, the 27-year veteran doesn’t hesitate to spend her own money and help in whatever way she can.
Campbell met the family earlier this year when the woman left the abusive relationship and moved to Atlanta. The single mother came to the Atlanta Police Foundation’s At-Promise Center, where she was connected with job openings and given a place to stay as she got back on her feet.
“She came here for some help, and I went out with the case manager because I knew she had kids,” said Campbell, who regularly works with children through the department’s Police Athletic League. “She ended up getting a job, but she didn’t have any transportation.”
Campbell described the woman as caring and friendly, and said it was apparent she was just trying to do the best she could for her children.
“I decided to give her one of my vehicles because I thought she could really use it,” Campbell said. “She needed a new lease on life. She just needed a hand up, and I knew if I could get her that vehicle that she would be able to get back and forth to work.”
In late September, officers called the woman and her children to a recreation center in northeast Atlanta, where Campbell surprised them with the keys to her 2011 Dodge Nitro.
The gesture earned her the title of Officer of the Month from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
At a recognition ceremony Tuesday morning, Atlanta police Interim Chief Rodney Bryant said he couldn’t think of a more deserving recipient.
Bryant trained Campbell when she joined the department nearly 30 years ago and said he has known her longer than just about anyone on the force. The fact that she would give up her own car because she thought it could be put to better use didn’t surprise the chief at all.
“I knew when she came on to the department that she was uniquely special,” said Bryant, who came out of retirement in June following the resignation of Erika Shields.
When she worked as a detective in Atlanta Public Schools, Campbell started her own videography class for students because no such program was offered, Bryant told the crowd. She purchased the camera equipment with her own money and stayed late most afternoons so she could spend time with the kids.
“This was nothing that was required of her or demanded of her,” Bryant said. “It was something she took it upon herself to do.”
Credit: Rebecca Wright for the Atlanta J
Credit: Rebecca Wright for the Atlanta J
Years later, Bryant was invited to a Christmas event that Campbell hosted for several Atlanta families.
“When I walked into the room it looked like she had purchased every item in a Walmart and divided them up,” he said. “I knew then Veronica was going to heaven.”
Bryant said while officers help people regularly, one would be hard-pressed to find a cop who dedicates their free time as consistently as Campbell, or does so with as much enthusiasm.
Campbell regularly gives out her personal cellphone number and tells families if they need something in the middle of the night, she will gladly get out of bed and come over. And when she isn’t assisting families or organizing toy drives, she helps pack and deliver meals to about 250 people a week on Atlanta’s Westside.
Maj. D’Andrea Price, who commands the Atlanta Police Department’s community outreach programs, said the perception of police might change if more people knew about Campbell and the work she does.
“There’s a lot of public scrutiny when it comes to police officers,” Price said. “But her heart is so open for people. It doesn’t matter who they are or where they’re from. She will help that individual.”
Campbell said she’s just grateful for the opportunity to assist others and wouldn’t have it any other way.
“To me, the role of a police officer is basically a public servant,” she said. “We’re here to fulfill the needs of the people, whatever that particular need may be. That’s what we do.”
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Credit: WSBTV Videos
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