Angels on Patrol helps officers take care of those in need

Angels on Patrol l Community Cares

Angels on Patrol is a non-profit started by a Phoenix Police lieutenant in 2009. For 15 years, the organization has worked tirelessly to help officers go above and beyond, not just to protect and serve, but to take care of the people who need it. FOX 10's Anita Roman reports.

PHOENIX - For 15 years, Angels on Patrol has worked tirelessly to help officers go above and beyond, not just to protect and serve, but to take care of the people who need it.

What they're saying:

These are not just Phoenix police officers; they are Angels on Patrol.

"Good morning, what's going on? You got a big old smile on your face," an officer said while walking into a room with a mother and baby.

Our cameras were there and rolling when these men and women in uniform stepped beyond the call of duty.

"Then we have some gift cards for you, Bashas', $300 on each of those," an officer said.

The night before, this woman and her baby were living on the street. An officer she encountered changed all that.

"I just feel grateful. I have been through a lot. I just want to move forward in peace and get my kids back. That's all. I don't want anything further, nothing more," the woman said.

"When an officer encounters a need, all they have to do is just go online. They fill out the officer request form, and then we get it immediately, and then we start helping," said Melinda Cadena.

Cadena is the executive director of Angels on Patrol.

"We were founded because officers are always encountering needs, and those needs, a lot of times, you need money to fulfill that need," Cadena said.

Cadena says these angels help people get into much-needed shelter. They lend a helping hand.

"There was a man in a wheelchair trying to cross the street, was having trouble, traffic was stopped. I pulled over, I helped him across the street," said Phoenix Police Assistant Chief Ed DeCastro.

DeCastro remembers when he was patrolling the streets of Maryvale and how important it was to him to make a difference.

"As we started talking, he was saying how he hadn't eaten in a couple days," DeCastro said. "We just went to the Jack in the Box and wound up just buying him a meal, getting him some soda, you know, making sure he was OK. We are much more compassionate than I think the community allows us to be, and we do these things like I said all the time without any recognition, and we don't really want the recognition."

"They ask for us to help them with diapers, formula, backpacks, school supplies for kids, pay for someone's electricity when the kids are without electricity, water. They want us to keep families at home, pay for their rent that way they won't be evicted. We help transport families that are going through domestic violence. We buy airline tickets, that way we can flee to safety. The list is endless because what officers encounter is very unique and every situation is so different," Cadena said.

If officers encounter a need overnight, they can pick up a pre-paid Visa card from the precinct.

On average, in one year, Angels on Patrol spends about $100,000 just on requests alone. In the past 15 years, the nonprofit has helped over 26,000 individuals because an officer asked them to.

People like this mom, who just wants a second chance.

"Just move on with my life, just me and my babies," she said.