Mutual Respect Guidelines for Citizens and Police Officers

Everyone wants to be safe. Mobile police officers are trained to keep everyone safe in all situations. They have strict guidelines they must follow in officer/citizen encounters. The Mobile Police Department has created separate mutual respect guidelines for citizens. Both are presented in the video “Respect for Everyone.” Take a moment to watch the video and share this information with your loved ones so that they know what to do when stopped by a police officer. 

Mutual Respect Guidelines for Citizens

• Remain calm
• Keep your hands where officer(s) can see them
• Address police officer(s) as “officer” or “officers”
• Tell the officer(s) if you have a weapon and its location
• Tell the officer(s) your name and address when asked
• Answer the officer(s) questions truthfully
• Comply with the officer(s) instructions
• Ask for assistance if you need it

Mutual Respect Guidelines for Police Officers

• Treat all citizens with respect
• Make decisions based on witnessing a violation or crime, probable cause, suspicious behavior or seeking information to provide for public safety –never solely on age, gender, race, religion
• Address adults as “ma’am” or “sir”
• Speak slowly and clearly
• Explain the reason for the interaction
• Repeat orders if they are not followed
• Use discretion for minor offenses

Abandoned Puppies Find Unexpected Forever Homes With Cops Who Rescued Them

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Published

May 01, 2025 at 05:06 PM EDT

By Liz O’Connell

Pets Reporter

Newsweek is a Trust Project member

A heartwarming, full-circle moment came after three New Jersey police officers kept their word and adopted puppies they helped save.

Officer Ronny Taborda of the Clark Township Police Department told Newsweek that someone came into the department with a bucket of puppies on a freezing night in December. At first, the person surrendering the puppies said he found them on the side of the road yelping in a five-gallon bucket but later admitted he wanted to sell them. He realized he couldn’t handle the responsibility.

The puppies, only about a week and a half old, had extremely low core temperatures, which made the department believe there was no chance they would survive.

Taborda, Detective Bruce McDonald and Detective Paul Sosnowski immediately fell in love with the puppies and felt heartbroken about their life start. The puppies were “defenseless and clearly abandoned.” Plus, they said it was rare to see such young puppies come into the department.

A photo of three New Jersey police officers with the puppies they adopted after they helped rescue them in December. | Courtesy of Associated Humane Societies/Courtesy of Associated Humane Societies

Hopeful the pups would pull through, Taborda said he, McDonald and Sosnowski called dibs on three of the puppies to adopt if they became adoptable.

The department rushed the puppies to the Associated Humane Society (AHS), which the officers said did the bulk of the heavy lifting to save these pups. They give full credit to AHS for saving them. The humane society raised money, bottle-fed the puppies and got them proper veterinary care.

The puppies went to one foster home, where they were hand-fed every few hours. Once they started growing, they were separated into different foster homes to make it more manageable.

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The three officers couldn’t stop thinking about the pups. They contacted AHS to check in and make it known they were interested in adopting. Before long, all three officers got to bring home a puppy. Taborda adopted Capri, McDonald has Zeus and Sosnowski got Ozzy.

The officers said the pups are now massive. They have a great temperament, although they did call them little “raptors” as these dogs are in their teenage phase. They joked that the dogs are thriving, yet training is a work in progress. The pups are biting everything, and some of their kids’ Crocs have been ruined.

Photos of two puppies now in their forever homes with the New Jersey police officers who adopted them. | Courtesy of Associated Humane Societies/Courtesy of Associated Humane Societies

Olivia Gonzalez, social media coordinator for AHS, said the rest of the puppies found great homes. The adopters all keep in touch with one another through a Facebook group. While schedules haven’t lined up for playdates yet, they’re planning on a reunion in December to mark one year since being rescued.

The officers understand incidents like this happen, which is why they want people to surrender animals you find with no questions asked. It is better that they be turned in to a police department, firehouse or veterinary clinic than leaving them. In this case, there could’ve been nine puppies saved and in homes if they were brought in earlier.

“Pluck up that courage and do what’s best for the animal,” the officers said.

Best Friends Animal Society, a partner with AHS-Newark, called the story a “full circle moment.” The organization applauded those involved in saving the puppies while also stressing the importance of microchipping pets.

Newsweek received a statement from Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society: “This story is a powerful reflection of modern animal services in action. It exemplifies the collaborative efforts by police and animal control teams to protect pets and save lives in their communities. We applaud Associated Humane Societies for their incredible efforts, which ensured these puppies spent minimal time in the shelter and quickly found their way into loving adoptive homes.”