Cop finds teen girl living in 'suspicious car' — his unexpected sidewalk request made her instantly feel safe
People encounter many disappointments and harsh realities of life, and offering the simplest gestures of kindness can make a difference. Back in 2016, when Huntington Beach Police Department officers Zach Pricer and Scott Marsh received a call about a suspicious vehicle, they intervened humanely, per TODAY. The duo spotted a mother and a then-11-year-old girl living in a car and decided to engage with them to learn more. To ensure the experience wasn’t scary or insecure, Officer Pricer made a wholesome request to the little girl and she was delighted to oblige. His gesture received immense applause and left many with a reminder to be kind.
According to the National Council of State Legislatures, there are around 4.2 million youth, young adults and teenagers who experience homelessness. It’s hard to imagine what life growing up looks like for these minors. When the officers arrived at the scene, Marsh took the mom aside to speak with her. He tried to contact the department’s Homeless Task Force to see if they could arrange a home for the duo. In the meantime, Pricer decided to ensure the girl felt comfortable and eased out. He took her aside and made a kind request that instantly calmed her down.
The request? A game of hopscotch. A video shared by CBS News captured the duo engaged in their game. The officer, in his uniform, spared no effort in excelling as he skipped and jumped across the markings drawn on the ground, just like the good old days. The little girl seemed ever excited to join and gave him a tough competition. In a matter of seconds, the girl was enjoying herself with Pricer as if he were a friend. Having been in the department and interacting with kids for years, he knew well how to approach a child and ensure they felt safe and comfortable in such situations.
“Being a policeman, it’s about communicating with people. And with kids, they just want to mess around and have fun, so I do that with them,” he explained. Sharing how he usually approaches kids while on duty, he added, “This was my first time playing hopscotch on duty, but I’ll always do whatever I can to break the ice and say, ‘I’m Zach.’” The officer’s goal was to let the kids know that “they can be safe with me. So, if there’s something I can do to make them feel comfortable, I’m going to do it,” he said. The best part was that Pricer called his act “police 101.” Reaching out to local youth and giving them a space to express themselves was part of the duty of officers like him.
“You could call 50 different police departments and talk to 50 different officers across the country and they would say, ‘Yeah, that’s what we do,’” the officer explained. “Unfortunately, that doesn’t always get recognized, but it’s what we do every day,” he added. @softdesigns said, “Beautiful! That's a nice change of pace in this crazy world. Hats off to you, sir.” @sarahg4275 added, “It's so nice to see how people can care for people so much!”