New Muskogee Foundation Aims To Help Police By Helping Others

A group of friends in Muskogee is getting together to help police officers and the people officers try to help on a daily basis.

Donors hope the newly created Muskogee Community Police Cares Foundation gives officers money to help people who need extra help - like a pair of shoes, a hot meal or a tank of gas. Without the program, the money comes out of the officer's pocket.

Just about every night, police in communities across Oklahoma run into people who need a little help. Compassionate officers are constantly playing the role of social services and pool their own money to help someone fix a flat or get something to eat.

Muskogee Police Officer Jeramie Garcia said, “It kind of tugs on the strings of the officers and they put their money together and buy stuff for the people."

To Help, Robert Rohlfing and his friends created the Muskogee Community Police Cares Foundation.

"You have a choice,” Rohlfing said, “do you want to be a part of the problem or do you want to be a part of the solution?"

The foundation will act as a bridge for the community to donate money to officers.

Deputy Chief Reggie Cotton said, "This is a way that those officers don't have to spend that money out of their pocket. They can use this program to help more and more people in those emergency situations."

Rohlfing just wants to support the officers who take money out of their own pockets to give a helping hand.

"It improves the way our community looks. I want our community to be known as a caring community," he said.

The foundation hopes to raise money through private donations and a yearly golf tournament. Donations are being accepted through the Neighbors Building Neighborhoods Association.