Tulsa’s newest police officer certainly knows how to be brave.
Five-year-old Aaliyah Alexander was sworn in as an honorary officer Tuesday after Officer Amley "Popsey" Floyd heard last week that’s what she wanted to be when she grew up.
"We put the wheels in motion to get the recognition from the mayor's office conferring upon her the title of honorary Tulsa Police officer," said Capt. Tom Bell, who swore in Aaliyah. "To my knowledge, it's the only time we've ever done that."
Aaliyah has kidney cancer and recently came home from St. Jude for hospice care. Her mother, Tiandra Swisher, said Aaliyah was a little overwhelmed at first by the crowd of police, fire fighters and emergency vehicles outside their apartment.
"But I know this will actually make her happy. I told them, I said, 'Just give her a minute to warm up and watch,'" Swisher said. "She's happy, and that's all that matters right now."
Aaliyah now has her own TPD uniform shirt and badge. The Tulsa Zoo, Oklahoma Aquarium and Ambassador Hotel pitched in to make some of Aaliyah’s other dreams come true.
Floyd says it was amazing to see her sworn in, especially in light of another police shooting a few days ago.
"Right now, it's not that nothing else exists or that we don't have those issues, but right now we all figure out what we have in common, which is we all have kids, we all have a heart," Floyd said. "And this brought us together."
Floyd said TPD is committed to Aaliyah’s family and are taking this opportunity to improve their relationship with the community in the Riverside division.
