Update: Officer gives boots to homeless man

[oneh2obabe]

The Associated Press

NEW YORK— A tourist’s snapshot of a New York City police officer giving new boots to a barefoot homeless man in Times Square has created an online sensation.

Jennifer Foster, of Florence, Ariz., was visiting New York with her husband on Nov. 14, when she came across the shoeless man asking for change in Times Square.

As she was about to approach him, she said the officer — identified as Larry DePrimo — came up to the man with a pair of all-weather boots and thermal socks on the frigid night. She recorded his generosity on her cellphone.

It was posted Tuesday night to the NYPD’s official Facebook page and became an instant hit. More than 325,000 users “liked” it as of Thursday morning, and over 79,000 shared it.



Thousands of people commented, including one person who praised him as “An officer AND a Gentleman.”

The photo shows the officer kneeling beside the man with the boots at his feet. A shoe store is seen in the background.

The NYPD Facebook page on Thursday posted a comment from DePrimo saying “I didn’t think anything of it” and updated it with a photo of DePrimo taken in 2011.

“’I have these size 12 boots for you, they are all-weather. Let’s put them on and take care of you,’” Foster quoted DePrimo as saying to the homeless man. “The officer squatted down on the ground and proceeded to put socks and the new boots on this man. The officer expected NOTHING in return and did not know I was watching.”

Foster said she’s worked in law enforcement for 17 years and has never been more impressed.

“His presentation of human kindness has not been lost on myself or any of the Arizona law enforcement officials with whom this story has been shared,” Foster wrote on Facebook. She said she never got the officer’s name.

DePrimo, who is assigned to the Sixth Precinct and lives on Long Island, told Newsday that the homeless man “smiled from ear to ear” after getting the boots.

“It was like you gave him a million dollars,” he added.

He told The New York Times that he keeps the receipt for the boots in his vest to remind him “that sometimes people have it worse.”

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/artic ... -sensation

[Liquidnails]

By "give boots to" I thought you meant kick. Haha.

Here in Vancouver the clothing company Arcteryx has partnered up with the police to give rugged rain ponchos to homeless people.

[gambler]

Zzontar made me chuckle earlier when he posted this in another thread.

On a lighter note, it seems there's another cop who has no problem giving someone the boots when they're down.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/good-new ... 20865.html

It's a wonderful story!

[normaM]

Wonderful story, makes me want to be a better person

[Bsuds]

Wonderful story, makes me want to be a better person

You have lots of shoes you could donate!

[normaM]

ha! I do not, and I do too Justifies getting others

[Sn0man]

Great story! Nice to read something positive once in a while.

[Fancy]

This story gives people faith and what a beautiful sentiment especially at this time of year.

[5VP]

Totally heartwarming...

Policing is a much maligned and much misunderstood frontline job, but overall in my experience, I'd say most mature police officers will, at some point, try give something extra back to the community.

Those that can't, won't or don't get sorted eventually by Karma...

[cutter7]

Yes good to see even if the "tourist" who just happened to be there to take the picture was another police officer.

It's still a positive story.

[grammafreddy]

Yes good to see even if the "tourist" who just happened to be there to take the picture was another police officer.

It's still a positive story.

True to form.

I think I read somewhere that Ms Foster is a dispatcher, not a police officer.

[cutter7]

where was that grandma? it says she worked in law enforcement right in this article. further more it says she has never been so impressed.

me either.

[grammafreddy]

Dispatch is considered "in law enforcement", isn't it? Would be to me. I think.

I think I read that in the first article I read about this. Haven't time right now to go look for it - sorry. I am rearranging my living room and office today. My fairy godmother took the day off.

[grammafreddy]

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/20227 ... ow-friends
This isn't where I read it but it does say she is a dispatcher ...

Ariz. tourist, NY Samaritan policeman now friends
Updated: Nov 30, 2012 8:02 AM PST

NEW YORK (AP) - An Arizona tourist who snapped a wildly popular photo of a New York City policeman helping a homeless man says she feels a kinship for the officer.

Jennifer Foster appeared with Officer Larry DePrimo on the "Today" show Friday.

Says Foster: "We decided we're best friends."

DePrimo said he found the whole experience "surreal and extremely humbling." He said he just knew he had to help the man.

Foster, a resident of Florence, Ariz., took a photo of DePrimo giving new boots to the barefoot homeless man in Times Square on a cold night. It went viral after it was posted on the NYPD's Facebook page on Tuesday.

Foster said her father, a Phoenix police officer for 32 years, had once done something similar. Foster herself is a police dispatcher.

[WhatThe]

That's what they mean by serve and protect, not harass and be dicks. People first.

Are you listening cop forum members?