Earlier this week, during the quiet hours of the night shift, Sgt. Totel and Officer Ring were called to a local home. A woman had just been transported to the hospital, leaving behind her adult daughter — a woman with developmental disabilities — still asleep and unaware that her world had just changed overnight.
When the officers arrived, they immediately sensed the complexity of the situation. The daughter would soon wake up to find strangers in her home, and more jarringly, discover that her mother — her primary caregiver — was gone.
What could have been a chaotic, distressing moment became something much different — thanks to the quiet patience and deep humanity of two officers who chose to stay.
For the next two hours, Sgt. Totel and Officer Ring worked behind the scenes, reaching out to the county Board of Developmental Disabilities Services and tracking down the resident’s home health aides. They made phone call after phone call, calmly trying to coordinate help while the city around them slept.
And then — just as they anticipated — the daughter awoke.
But instead of panic, she was met with calm voices. Familiar rhythms. Gentle support.
Officer Ring, who quickly became a breakfast hero, whipped up his now “world-famous” scrambled eggs — even pictured smiling beside the sink as he washed the dishes. Sgt. Totel helped her find her shoes, zip up her jacket, and pack a simple lunch, making sure nothing about her morning felt different or rushed.
Together, they followed her routine, step by step. Not because it was in the handbook — but because it mattered to her.
And then, the best part:
She got on her bus.
Right on time.
Off to her day program, smiling, with her world intact.
In a job often defined by emergencies, citations, and fast-moving situations, this was something different. It was slow. Gentle. Human.
No headlines.
No flashing lights.
Just two officers who stayed a little longer and cared a little deeper.
Thank you, Sgt. Totel and Officer Ring, for going the extra mile — not just with your badges, but with your hearts.
