LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Some Louisville police officers have a new mission to help some of the most vulnerable people.
Inside the Downtown Area Patrol Office or DAP there is a clothing closet started by one of the officers. The goal was to provide clothing in cases of emergency, but now it’s a resource for the entire department.
"We are in desperate need of men's socks and underwear," said Louisville Metro Police Officer Beverly Jones. She is part of the DAP Unit, but lately she has also taken on the role of personal shopper.
Whether she's walking, riding or cycling the beat, Jones often encounters people who need a little more than what police typically offer.
"I just want to help, even if it's something little like giving somebody a pair of socks or a pair of shoes," she said.
At the Downtown Area Patrol Office or DAP there is a clothing closet started by Louisville Metro Police Officer Beverly Jones. The goal is to provide clothing in cases of emergency, and now it’s a resource for the entire department. (WDRB Image) Oct. 28, 2022
Last November, Jones gave a man a shirt, a pair of pants and some of her own personal clothing.
"I just instinctively took my inner belt ... my outer belt off and gave him my belt," she said.
But that was just one of the many people Jones wanted to help.
"And it got to the point that I had so much stuff in my car, I couldn't, I didn't have room for my actual police stuff," she said.
So a few months ago, she moved the clothing to the DAP office and opened it to everyone on the department.
"They probably thought I was crazy, when I first started doing this, but I see a lot of those officers. It's like they're, 'Bev, gonna raid your boxes today,'" she explained.
"We've kind of behind the scenes named it 'Bev's Clothing Closet,'" Officer Beth Ruoff, a spokesperson for LMPD, said.
Ruoff said that in just a few months, Bev's Clothing Closet has really helped the people they are sworn to protect and serve.
"We get called to scenes and situations where people really need shoes, various pieces of clothing, and a lot of times we're at a loss if we don't have those on hand," she said. But now, the closet is a valuable resource for officers in all eight divisions. "Bev has made it happen for everybody and surrounding divisions and officers are now reaching out for this resource."
At the Downtown Area Patrol Office or DAP there is a clothing closet started by Louisville Metro Police Officer Beverly Jones. The goal is to provide clothing in cases of emergency, and now it’s a resource for the entire department. (WDRB Image) Oct. 28, 2022
While Jones doesn't get any extra pay for creating the clothing closet, she said she "wouldn't accept it anyway. It's part of the job."
But she has been rewarded.
"You know it is nice to hear 'Thank you,' because, you know, as officers sometimes we don't hear that," she said.
Anyone who would like to donate to LMPD’s clothing closet can drop off donations at the DAP Office at 224 South 2nd Street in Louisville. They are in special need of coats, underwear and socks for men.
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