He went into the precinct for shift change having had no sleep, and at roll call — the briefing at the start of a shift, in a room, with his platoon in front of him, as the ranking officer present — he stood up and told them what a thirteen-year-old boy had done for his daughter.

And then he said that he was putting money in, and that anyone who wanted to was welcome to.

Eleven officers put money in.

A hundred and ninety dollars each.

Two thousand and ninety dollars, in cash, in a manila envelope, in about four minutes, at the end of a briefing, from people who are paid between sixty-four and ninety-one thousand dollars a year and who have their own mortgages.

And I need to say clearly what I felt when I first heard that, which was: that is the most wonderful thing I have ever heard.