Dream come true
SCSO helps Bauxite student celebrate birthday
Law enforcement officers from all over Saline County gathered on Friday to celebrate Bauxite student Max Birmingham’s 13th Birthday. Birmingham is in the seventh grade at Bauxite Middle School.
Birmingham suffers from Prader Willi Syndrome, which is a condition that causes the patient to become constantly hungry, among other things including mental disability. It is a rare genetic disorder and patients usually start to show symptoms around 2 years old. The condition can result in symptoms that have a considerable negative impact on the patient’s quality of life.
Birmingham loves police officers and has a close relationship with school resource offer Tim Green. Officers decided to surprise Birmingham on his birthday by letting him experience what it’s like being a police officer Friday morning.
They started by surprising Birmingham in his classroom. He was glowing with excitement as they came in the room.
To Birmingham’s surprise, he was being sworn in as a Junior Deputy of the Saline County Sheriff’s Office. Birmingham took the oath of office just like all law enforcement officers in Saline County when starting
the job. After taking his oath of office, he was given a bulletproof vest exactly like the one Saline County Sheriff deputies wear. He was also given a plaque commemorating his swearing in as a junior deputy. He was also given a plaque with badges and other law enforcement memorabilia.
After taking the oath of office, now Junior Deputy Birmingham
got in Green’s law enforcement vehicle and conducted a staged traffic stop. They rode in a caravan with other police cars, all the cars had the sirens going as they pulled over a speeding vehicle. Birmingham approached the car and got the driver’s license and registration, he then took it back to Green’s car, where they ran it through the system, just like an actual traffic stop.
Green and Birmingham also called in backup. The S.W.A.T team and other Saline County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived at the scene and shook Birmingham’s hand as he conducted the traffic stop. They all pulled up with their sirens and lights going, replicating what it would be like if assistance is needed for an actual traffic stop.
Birmingham got the chance to write the driver a ticket as well.