A Show of Appreciation to Buffalo’s Finest

We hear way too often about the police officers all over the country that are constantly being criticized, but who are YOU going to call when you need help?  I'd like to thank a couple of Buffalo police officers who seemingly came out of nowhere the other night to lend a hand.

It was far from a life or death situation.  I was on a dark stretch of highway with a flat tire and these two officers not only stopped to see that I was ok, but went far beyond that.  They even went so far as to help with the jack, mount the spare, help with the lug nuts and place the damaged tire in the trunk.

I was traveling south on the Skyway heading to a sports banquet in Blasdell when all kinds of yellow lights on my dashboard came on to warn me that one of my tires needed air immediately.  I watched the tire pressure fall from 30 psi to 20, to 16, to 9, to 2 in less than 60 seconds.

I needed to get off the highway as quick as I could.  I didn't want to be changing a tire with traffic flying by at 60 mph.  I found myself on a dark stretch of Fuhrmann Blvd.  I hadn't had to change a flat tire in more than 20 years, so with the cold wind howling in off the lake and dressed in a jacket and tie here I go.  I was just glad it wasn't snowing.

I'd used jacks similar to the one that came with my vehicle, but this one was a little different.  There was a long bar with a hooked end and I just couldn't figure out how it all fit together to crank the car up.  That's about the time officers McDonald and Goretti arrived.

First they provided light so I could see what I was doing, then pointed out how the crank on the jack worked.  By that time they were getting involved in actually helping out getting the flat tire changed.  I never expected that.

The Mission Statement from the Buffalo Police Department website says their "primary mission is to improve the quality of life in the City of Buffalo.  We will strive for personal and professional excellence, dedication to duty and the delivery of quality service to the public. We are part of a team dedicated to the safety and protection of our community. Our actions will reflect intelligence, sincere, efficient and courteous service."

These two officers represented all of these qualities and more.  They made sure I was safe, they came to my aid and made sure I was able to resume my trip.  They saved me a lot of time and I arrived at the banquet just a few minutes late.

So to officers McDonald and Goretti - thank you.  You're a credit to the Buffalo Police Department.