While investigating a noise complaint in the area, Greensboro police officers received more than they bargained for. They traced the noise to a quinceanera in the city of North Carolina. Rather than telling the family to keep the noise to a minimum, they decided to stay at the family’s request to eat and hang out with the birthday girl.
According to a post on the official Greensboro Police Department Facebook page, three officers, identified as Matthews, King, and Johnson, opted to leave the family alone after learning that it was a special occasion. The cops distributed GPD stickers to the children in attendance and stayed to take pictures with the birthday girl.
Commenters praised the cops for making the correct decision despite their need to investigate the source of the complaint.
“Perspective is everything,” wrote one commenter. “Thanks for acknowledging her special day. Hopefully we all can remember ‘kindness’ in our daily interactions while being mindful of others. Thanks for helping build community.”
Adriana Mendez, the older sister of the young woman, identified through Facebook as Kim, celebrating her fifteenth birthday, wrote a very sweet comment to the officers, which reads, “Thank you all so much Greensboro Police Department you guys were great and my baby sister is so happy that you all stayed and helped celebrate her birthday!!”
She continued: “You all were very understanding and we appreciated you all accepting our culture and also sitting to eat! As a child with special needs and someone who struggles to have friends it really meant the world that you all stopped by even if initially it was a noise complaint. We appreciate you all and all the work you do on the daily!!”
All of the commenters on the original Facebook post agreed that the actions of these three officers represent the pinnacle of community policing, in which officers participate in the community rather than simply lording it over. The officers were praised for their thoughtful approach to this particular complaint, recognizing that Kim’s special day was ultimately more important than a standard noise complaint.