Cops in NJ don’t get the credit they deserve (Opinion)

The other day my 88-year-old mother got a call from a friend of hers that she hadn't talked to in a while. My mom is a recent widow and people check in on her fairly often. What some people don't know is that her hearing is nearly all gone. When she talks on the phone she uses a service and a special screen that types out what people on the other end are saying. It takes about 4 or 5 seconds to catch up and conversations can get awkward.

When she's waiting for the words to show up on the screen, you can hear her breathing kind of funny and making noises while she waits for your response. To the uninitiated it can sound like she's struggling or in distress. Her upstairs phone screen wasn't working when she answered her friends' call the other day. After about a minute of trying to hear the woman and not seeing the words on the screen, she told her friend, "I'll have to call you back".

When they hung up her friend called 911 because she thought my mom was having some sort of life threatening episode. Within minutes, three Delran Police cars and an ambulance were in front of my mom's house to come and help her. She explained that she was fine and that her friend probably pushed the panic button. She also explained that she's a recent widow to the officer.

He asked if it would be ok if he checked in on her from time to time. She of course agreed and was so grateful and was filled with such a sense of security that he would offer to do that. Now, her hearing isn't good but she thought his name was Officer Hackney. We'd like to thank Officer Hackney, The Delran PD and all of the police officers across New Jersey for all the good they do every day that goes unrecognized. They deserve our gratitude and respect each and every day that they serve the public in so many different ways.

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