Behind the Badge
As Hurricane Irma approached Florida on Sunday night, first responders geared up for the work ahead. The Gainesville Police Department was no different. The agency posted a few photos to its Facebook wall Sunday evening showing Officers Norman, Hamill and Rengering preparing for their duty as part of the night crew.
Not long after, a particular selfie of the three officers went viral, receiving over 153,000 comments, 420,000 likes and 238,000 shares. Needless to say, the women of northern Florida found the photo easy on the eyes.
Comments poured in, including a suggestion to create a calendar for charity. Gainesville PD took the comments in stride, noting some even made their chief blush.
“Thank you for all the hilarious comments…they have brightened our time up here,” the department responded, updating its initial Facebook post. PD officials even seemed to like the idea of a calendar, stating they would try to put something together as quickly as possible with the raised funds going to Hurricane Irma recovery.
An important PSA also was added to the update: Officers Norman and Hamill are indeed taken. But the third, Officer Rengering, is single.
The photo was welcome comedic relief for those facing evacuations, power outages and flood damage from Irma. The Sarasota PD even joined in on the fun, sending in “backup” with another photo of their officers in action.
Check out the Gainesville PD Facebook page to read all of the fun for yourself.
