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By EMILY REED | Special to the Reporter

ALABASTER – A Facebook post in December of an Alabaster Police Officer stopping to throw a baseball with a little boy at a park, quickly gained momentum.

While the officers with the Alabaster Police Department are sworn to protect and serve their community, they are also ready and willing to help in whatever ways are needed.

This mindset has continued throughout the department within recent weeks as the accolades for many of the officers continue with things such as social media posts praising the department for the work the officers are doing.

“Helping others in need is one of our primary responsibilities as police officers,” said APD Corporal Officer John St. Pierre. “We want our community and guests to know that we are here for them 24/7. Our officers take great pride in serving others to the best of their abilities.”

A separate Facebook post praised an APD sergeant for stopping to meet some little boys at the Warrior Express recently.

The sergeant met the boys and allowed them to see his police car, while giving them a badge “replica.”

APD Police Chief Curtis Rigney said his department has a “customer service mentality.”

“Our employees love it,” Rigney said. “They enjoy the interaction and being able to help, even if it is not law enforcement related.”

Most recently, a police officer was commended on social media this week for stopping to help a motorist who had experienced a flat tire during rainy conditions on Interstate 65 in Alabaster.

The officer was commended for being able to help the individual quickly, in the rain, while also being “professional and knowledgeable” about an unusual tire jack.

“The officer immediately put my wife at ease that everything was going to be OK and it is officers like him that are the unsung heroes,” the Facebook post read.

The job of a police officer is not always easy, and many days can be hard and stressful. But, Rigney said he is incredibly proud of his team.

“The officers, clerks, communications, analysts, animal control and detective(s) do a great job,” Rigney said. “They all provide excellent customer service to our citizens and visitors to our city every day. Writing tickets, making an arrest and working traffic accidents are part of the job, but when you do something that makes a person feel better and improves their situation, you have impacted someone’s life.”

Rigney also acknowledges that the APD is fortunate to have a city where citizens love the police and show that support frequently.

As the trend of good and positive news is reflected on the officers at the APD, both St. Pierre and Rigney said it is due to the many officers who work each day to ensure Alabaster is a safe place to be.

“Our officers do extraordinary and above-the-call-of-duty actions daily,” St. Pierre said. “It is great to see the shared positive testimonials from their interactions with those they have assisted. Every officer will humbly tell you that they are doing their job and look forward to helping the next person, which resonates within our community and surrounding areas. It is because of their dedication to service, our men and women of the APD make the city of Alabaster a safe place to live, work and shop.”