(MURFREESBORO) In April, Murfreesboro Police Officer Lance Hofmeister noticed an elderly female walking down the side of a busy roadway with her walker. He stopped and offered her a ride in his patrol car to her hair appointment. Unknown to him, his kind service was captured on video and posted on social media, generating thousands of views, and airing across the nation, including on the national news program Inside Edition.
Watch YouTube video https://youtu.be/VOqCNIo_UQs
Mayor Shane McFarland recognized Officer Hofmeister before the Sept. 22 regular City Council meeting. The following description by Deputy Chief Steve Jarrell nominated Hofmeister for the STARS award:
“On April 29, 2022, Officer Lance Hofmeister was patrolling Old Fort Parkway when he observed an elderly female, 84-year-old Elizabeth Goode, walking down the side of the road with her walker. Officer Hofmeister became concerned for her welfare and decided to check on her. Officer Hofmeister stated he did not know if she was lost, or if she had wandered away. When Officer Hofmeister spoke to Ms. Goode, he learned she had ridden a bus from Nashville to Murfreesboro in order to get her appointment at Paul Mitchell School. Officer Hofmeister provided Ms. Good with a ride, and during so he learned more about his new friend. The more they talked, [the more] she reminded him of someone close to his heart, his own grandmother whom he lost a few years prior. Officer Hofmeister took Ms. Goode to her appointment and made arrangements to have someone pick her up and take her back to catch her bus ride home. This is an exemplary example of true community policing and service to others. . . .This event was captured by a citizen who posed it on social media. Since then, this story has been aired across the nation as well as being a story on Inside Edition.”
Officer Hofmeister began his employment with MPD on April 4, 2016.
“We are proud of Officer Hofmeister and the contributions he makes to our community on a daily basis,” said Chief Michael Bowen. “He is truly an asset to our agency and the law enforcement profession.”
STARS stands for “Succeeding Through Attitudes Reflecting Service Excellence.” They are examples of representing the City in a positive light, exhibiting the core values, and creating a better quality of life for citizens.
The STARS Service Excellence program recognizes outstanding employees who embody the city’s standards for service excellence and exemplify the city’s core service values. The purpose of the STARS award is to recognize and reward those employees who go above and beyond their normal job duties in providing outstanding customer service to internal and external customers.
Congratulations to Officer Hofmeister of the Murfreesboro Police Department for being named as a STARS Award recipient for exemplary service to a member of his community.
