A surprise appreciation brunch for a popular Philadelphia community relations officer from the 12th Police District took place before family and friends with much fanfare on Friday, June 21, 2024, at the 12th Police District, 65th Street and Woodland Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia.
Officer Arnold E. Mitchell is the 12th District’s outgoing, friendly, magnanimous Community Relations Officer (CRO), whose fellow officers with members of the 12th District community thanked him with a surprise brunch held at the 12th’s roll call room.
Officer Mitchell entered the packed room as roughly 70 people yelled, “Surprise!” The shocked look on the CRO’s face was priceless.
“You all got me,” said Mitchell, laughing. “I was totally surprised. But I did wonder why my dad’s truck was parked on the corner.”
The room was filled with Southwest residents, coworkers, and friends, most of whom Officer Mitchell considers family.
A common theme from people who attended was that they came because “Officer Mitchell always goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure citizens in the 12th aren’t in need,” said 12th District Police Advisory Council President Edith Dixon. She organized the event with Sergeant Robyn Himmons, the longest-serving supervisor at the 12th. “He ensures that people have food, clothing, toys, bus fare, and personal hygiene items, whether we’re having an organized event or people walk in off the street. We don’t have lots of established stores to donate money to our programs. So if one of our generous donors hasn’t given, he just goes in his pocket and pays for it himself—and Mitchell has a wife, and his four daughters are all under the age of 12.
Officer Mitchell’s wife Nazlah, daughters, parents, and in-laws all were there to aid the surprise.
After he made his way through the crowd, hugging, shaking hands, and laughing at the ruse, Mitchell went to the podium where he received citations from Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson and state representatives Jordan Harris, Regina Young, and Joanna McClinton, the House Speaker, who spoke on behalf of PA House of Representatives members. After a heartfelt speech from 12th District Captain Joe Green, who said Mitchell “taught him a lot and was like a brother,” Mitchell and his wife, Nazlah Mitchell, received bouquets of flowers from his retired partner, former Victims Assistance Officer (VAO) Lisa McDowell. Finally, he got a plaque thanking him for his outstanding service from some of the people he works closest with, his Police District Advisory Council (PDAC). Always the jokester, Mitchell thanked everyone and said he would be looking for a new PDAC president because he planned to strangle Dixon, who constantly teased him about keeping the party a secret.
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