In June, officers from South Yorkshire Police’s Walkley Policing Team, accompanied by 999 response team officers, responding to a concern for welfare call.
A caller reported that they had not seen their neighbour for some time. When officers arrived at the address, they had to force entry into the property.
After gaining entry, the officers discovered an elderly man who had collapsed and was in, what police have described as, a ‘desperate condition’.
The officers managed to stabilise the man, talking to him as he fell in and out of consciousness until paramedics arrived.
Sadly, despite their best efforts, the male died a short time after reaching the hospital.
After the relevant enquiries and checks to rule out any suspicious circumstances, the team discovered the man had no family or friends.
Last week, PCSO Jeanette Sparkes, PCSO Tony Hizam and Sergeant Simon Kirkham attended his funeral, arranged by the local authority, on their rest days and lunch breaks.
The officers wanted to attend to ensure that there were people there to mark the man’s life in the absence of family/friends
The team has been praised by senior officers and community members who knew the man for going above and beyond.
A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police Added: ‘It’s not all drugs raids and criminals, a lot of the time, being a cop is simply about being human’.
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