By: Erica M. Ponder
It takes a special kind of man to gain the hearts of, not only his community, but people who come from different walks of life, backgrounds and circumstances than himself. It makes that person more special when he is able to handle the pressures of law enforcement with grace, while gaining the admiration and appreciation of the community he polices. Officer Tommy Norman, of Little Rock, AR is that special man who everybody has been raving about all over social media.
Norman was recently in Houston celebrating “Trae Day,” with local rapper “Trae tha Truth” at Discovery Green.
Norman has been an officer in North Little Rock Police Department since 1998, and has also been a volunteer for organizations like Meals on Wheels since he was a teenager. While looking at his Facebook and Instagram accounts, one is bound to fall in love with Amiyah, a little girl who considers Norman to be her best friend, and Lois, a funny, tell-it- like-it- is older woman that lives in the community.
Because of his community policing techniques, he has received praises from many celebrities, including T.I., Trae The Truth and Monica, and has even received financial donations from The Game in an effort to help him continue to give back to the community.
Everyone has fallen in love with Norman’s willingness to connect with his community, where the children actually run to his squad car, instead of away from it.
Norman told USA Today that he feels that initially some people questioned if he was genuine about his efforts.
“They’re not really sure if this police officer is being genuine,” he said.
Why is he being so nice? Can a police officer have love? Can a police officer have
compassion? And can a police officer care? The answer is “yes,” he said. After years of being in law enforcement and 1.2 million Instagram followers, we think Norman is doing something right.
Norman told XXL Magazine that he doesn’t feel as though he deserves this much attention.
“I don’t feel worthy, I don’t really see what other people see because I’m on the inside looking out. I’ve been doing this for years, because I started when I was young[volunteering]. It’s been a part of my life, it runs through my bloodstream. I get all these phone calls and media requests, and I’m thinking, ‘I’ll do them because I’m honored but what’s the big deal?’ And I’m glad that I approach it that way. That shows that I’m grounded. I take so much pride in remaining humble,” he said.
Well, thanks for being such a hero during a time where we really need one! Keep up the great work!
Follow Officer Norman on Instagram at @tnorman23
