HPD Officer Will Nguyen demonstrated the impact Community Oriented Policing can have on a community with a simple act of care and kindness. Houston residents John and Anne Helton wrote to Police Chief Troy Finner on Nov. 5, 2021 to explain:

Dear Police Chief Finner,

We commend your leadership of the Houston Police Department, particularly as you shore up crime fighting and support the officers of Houston. We met one of your fine officers in our Westbury neighborhood, Officer Will Nguyen, #7830.

We were walking our older dog late in the afternoon and saw a patrol car and officer behind our house. It was at the home of an older mom who has been dealing with a grown daughter with serious mental health issues. We have all seen her struggles and tried to help her. As a community health nurse, I had spent time trying to support her daughter to take her medication, as she has suicidal thoughts. We had seen HPD at her house a few weeks ago and knew her daughter had been taken to a hospital, which she needed. Officer Nguyen was there yesterday, at the end of his shift, just to follow up and check on the family. He went above and beyond in community policing and didn’t realize I had history with the family too. As a registered nurse and long time Houston resident, I was so impressed with his kindness and concern, as I know how difficult the ordeal has been on the girl’s mother.

We know Houston police officers are often scapegoated and maligned, and we wanted you to be reassured that they are often guardian angels, performing extra kind deeds with no desire for attention, as Officer Nguyen was yesterday. My husband is a native Houstonian and was able to reminisce with Officer Nguyen about the many changes in HPD. I worked with HPD Domestic Violence training years ago when I was on the board at the Houston Area Women’s Center, so I have seen how much respect the force has for all people. We desperately need our residents to show respect to them too, especially as they try to keep our city safe.

Again, we commend your leadership and are thankful you are at the helm and have your officers’ backs.

Sincerely,

Anne and John Helton

Houston