It’s not every day that you see an entire police department attending a kindergarten graduation . However, that was exactly the scene at one Arizona elementary school on May 13.
Shawn Prinkey, a motorcycle officer and 14-year veteran of the Mesa Police Department, is currently serving overseas in Afghanistan and wasn’t able to make his daughter Sophia’s kindergarten graduation ceremony, so his fellow Mesa police officers decided to stand in for him. With the help of one of the officer’s wives, who works at the elementary school, the event was planned.
“The graduation ceremony event was put together by a fellow Mesa Police Department officer and friend of his, whose wife is also a teacher at the same school,” Mesa Police Det. Esteban Flores told ABC News . “They worked together with the school and with Prinkey’s motor squad to make it happen.”
Dad serving in Afghanistan can’t make daughter’s kindergarten graduation – police come instead http://t.co/U5k9BVnao0 pic.twitter.com/rF9w0D48U1
— ABC News (@ABC) May 20, 2015
“There’s a lot of our officers in the military,” Flores said. “And they all look out for each other.”
“He’s a squadmate, and [graduating from kindergarten] is a big deal for a little person and a big deal for the parents and family,” Detective Steve Berry, Public information officer for the Mesa Police Department, told Yahoo Parenting . “The police department, being one big family that we are, wants to be supportive of our officers and friends that are deployed. It was a great gesture and it was well received.”
#Army dad in Afghanistan can’t attend daughter’s graduation; police come instead http://t.co/9LMVsNVcCm #GoodNews pic.twitter.com/ij61HnCi0t
— 7NEWS Denver Channel (@DenverChannel) May 21, 2015
Following the ceremony, the police officers stopped to pose for photos with Sofia, and they even let her sit on their motorcycles. The City of Mesa Police Department later issued a statement on their Facebook account.
“Motor Officer Shawn Prinkey couldn’t attend this special event for his daughter, so his brothers and sisters in Blue decided to step up and let Shawn’s family know that we are here for them. We will always support our brothers and sisters serving our great country and we will continue to support those families who are serving here at home. Stay safe Shawn and Godspeed.”
[Photo via Facebook/City of Mesa Police Department]
