Revere police officers showed plenty of character by making sure the 10th anniversary of Officer Daniel Talbot’s murder is marked by a genuine outpouring of support for a great charity.
Officers with help from local residents and other supporters raised $30,000 to support Cops for Kids with Cancer. This enduring charity mirroring the compassion and concern of police officers across the nation reflected generosity shown by community residents at a Sept. 29 fundraising evening and the commitment police make to helping other people.
Talbot, a military veteran, was shot to death behind Revere High School after a quickly-escalating set of circumstances ended in his murder. His funeral brought Revere together as community mourning one of its own and Talbot’s death and the subsequent investigation represented a painful chapter in the history of the police department.
The 10th anniversary of Talbot’s death obviously triggers emotions and painful memories. But the Police Department ensured Talbot will be remembered in the spirit of generosity by helping a Revere family endure cancer with financial support and a public display of support from local officers and community members.
The typical Cops for Kids donation to a family is $5,000. Revere police officers are understandably proud to raise enough money to assist six families. More than a dozen Revere officers were involved in raising Cops for Kids money and their efforts reflect the giving spirit displayed by people involved in law enforcement and their frequent encounters with people struggling to improve their lives or survive.
Police officers and people who work in other law enforcement jobs are often first in line to help guide someone away from substance abuse and into recovery programs. It is police officers who, more often than not, dig deep for money or make the telephone calls necessary to get a homeless person, even families, into shelters and connected with resources.
Cops for Kids is one of those police-inspired charities that keeps a relatively low profile with officers and their friends and other donors raising money to help families weather the cost of cancer treatment and meet financial obligations that might seem insurmountable.
Police officers typically don’t want credit for their generosity and the Revere family benefiting from the Cops for Kids initiative launched in Talbot’s memory probably won’t meet most of the officers and other donors who raised the $30,000.
But their almost-constant exposure to the hardship faced by others and their roles as witnesses to the worst — and sometimes the most commendable — human behaviors is often the motivation spurring law enforcement professionals to dig a little deeper, work a little harder and go the extra mile to help someone facing long odds. We salute the Revere Police Department for supporting Cops for Kids with Cancer.
