Being a police officer these days is not like it used to be. There are a lot of anti-police movements and many officers who are out to serve and protect are not getting the support of their communities. Kansas City Police Officer Rance Quinn is one of the dedicated police officers who has recently been feeling under-appreciated and unwanted in the community that he works so hard to protect.
Recently Officer Quinn was out to lunch at a local Chili’s restaurant with fellow officer Captain George Sims. It was there that something happened to restore Officer Quinn’s faith in the people he had vowed to serve and protect. While the two were enjoying their lunch, a teenage girl walked by and dropped a napkin on their table. Curious, the officers took a closer look at the napkin and realized there was some writing on it. The napkin read, “Thanks for keeping us safe”. Officer Quinn got up to thank the girl for her thoughtful note but she had already left with her family.
That was only the beginning of the surprises for the officers in the restaurant that afternoon. When the pair got up to pay their bill, their server told them that the table that the teenage girl belonged to paid their bill. Before they left, a mother with her five-year-old son approached them and said that he was deaf, but had always wanted to meet a police officer. They spent some time with the boy before the mother and son went back to their own table.
On their way out, the server stopped them to tell them how much she appreciated their service to the community. She presented them with a gift card to the restaurant for the next time they wanted to dine. The mother with the deaf son stopped them again and also gave them gift cards because she wanted to show her appreciation as well. She told them that she comes from a military family and she is a big supporter of law enforcement.
Since that day, Officer Quinn has carried the note from the teenage girl with him while he is on-duty. He shared what happened to him and his Captain that day in the Chili’s restaurant and the post went viral. He said that you can never underestimate how powerful your actions can be to another person.