Police Go Beyond Call Of Duty To Fix Up Senior's Home

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Miami-Dade Police took time out to give back to the community Saturday, embarking on a home beautification project for a senior citizen in their jurisdiction.

Officers from the Northside District Community Oriented Policing Unit took on the big task of repairing the home for 64-year-old retiree, Judith Hayes, at 9220 N.W. Little River Blvd.

"It's just a blessing. It's just a blessing. And I'm enjoying every minute of it," said an excited Ms. Hayes.

She's lived in the home for more than 40 years and could no longer afford to fix the home up herself.

That's when Major Ricky Carter stepped in, who started these home beautification projects out of concern for the well-being of seniors in the community.

"As officers, we get a lot of opportunities to protect. But we get very few opportunities to serve. So that's why this is an excellent opportunity so that we can help the community," said Maj. Carter. "So we took time out of our days to come here and help serve the community, show them that we are one with the community. Because each one of us lives in a neighborhood just like this."

Ms. Hayes said she hopes others will become as lucky as she was.

"I hope it don't just stop here. I hope they're able to go and help someone else," she said. "We all need help from time to time."

After finishing repairs, redoing the yard and giving the home a fresh coat of paint, the house came out looking as good as the day was given the keys to the place more than 40 years ago.