KCBD along for the ride as Lubbock law enforcement delivers for Meals on Wheels

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Lubbock area law enforcement officers spent Wednesday morning cruising around and knocking on doors, this time without their lights and sirens.

Neal Barron, assistant chief with the Lubbock Police Department, took us along for the ride.

“It is a great thing for the police department to be able to make contact with people, number one who are not in crisis, and when they don’t have to call the police, but number two when they might just need someone to talk to for a little bit,” Barron said.

Barron says he has been delivering for Meals on Wheels once a year since 2016, and meeting those smiling faces at the doorstep is rewarding for him every year.

“You meet the most interesting people from all walks of life doing this. It is refreshing to see those smiles on everyone’s faces when you get to deliver their meals,” Barron said.

The conversations can range from small talk to getting life advice from Lubbock’s elderly.

“I always enjoy asking people that are way up there in years, I’m talking 100 to 105 years old, what their secret to living such a long life is. One lady told me that I need to eat my vegetables, drink my milk, and do what my momma tells me to do. Another woman told me that she likes to dance; that she has been doing it her whole life and that’s why she lived to be over 100,” Barron said.

Barron says meeting the people of Lubbock is what it’s all about.

“It is so important for the police and law enforcement, in general, to get out and meet the people in the community because that’s who we are here to serve and protect every day,” Barron said.

Lubbock Meals on Wheels is located at 2304 34th St, Lubbock, TX 79411.

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