The Fort Worth Police Department publicly honored one of its officers Tuesday who went beyond the call of duty to help a burglary victim.
On July 4, Officer B.D. Jackson, a patrolman who has spent 24 years with the department, responded to a burglary call at the south Fort Worth home of Patsy Caudill.
"To know that they'd gone through your house, it kind of bothers you," Caudill said Tuesday,
She discovered that someone had forced open the sliding glass door from her back patio.
Jackson said it particularly concerned him that the burglar had gone to the effort to pry open the door and enter the house, but had not taken anything – an indication the suspect was perhaps looking to assault someone inside instead of steal property, according to the veteran officer.
"We fixed it as best we could that night," Jackson said about his initial effort to secure Caudill's sliding glass door.
But it was Jackson's next decision that lead to his commendation by the department.
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"And then I just came over the next day, on my day off, and went ahead and made it so it would work right, so she wouldn't have to worry about it anymore," Jackson said.
The officer used his own money to purchase updated security measures for Caudill's back door and installed them using his own tools, according to a Tweet from the official FWPD account Tuesday.
"I think he's a pretty good guy because he came on his own personal time to make sure my place was safe," Caudill said.
The only reason the police department learned of Jackson's good deed, according to Caudill, was that she recently went to department headquarters with a "Thank You" note for her savior, along with a $20 bill enclosed.
Jackson's supervisor intercepted Caudill's gift and personally returned the money to her, according to a statement from the police department, and "explained that Officer Jackson was very appreciative for her kindness but could not accept the $20 bill. He added that he was just happy to make her feel more secure in her home."
"He made it much better for me," Caudill said. "Much safer."
"That's our primary job – to protect people," Jackson said. "A lot of times we don't get to do that as much as we like. But when we get a chance to do it that's what we like to do. That's what we're here for."
