The officers fought back tears as they gently fed the fragile baby, shaken by the heartbreaking situation they had just uncovered.

This is a story that has stayed with me — a hardworking mom who left for her shift, trusting her husband to care for their infant daughter while she was gone.

But addiction had taken hold of him. Instead of caring for the baby, he abandoned her — leaving her alone, hungry, and dehydrated.

When my fellow officers arrived, they didn’t hesitate. Every second counted.

With shaking hands and determined hearts, they prepared a bottle, changed her soaked diaper, and cradled her as they fed her — each quiet act a vow that she was not alone, and never would be again.