Lance Corporal Cricket Barnes received the Horry County Police Department “Support Services Officer of the Year 2014” award for helping a student at the Academy for Arts, Science and Technology where she works.
During last January’s ice storm, Lance Corporal Barnes discovered a student at the school had left his parents home and was living in the woods.
“I remember how cold it was out there. Obviously it was cold enough they had to shut down the schools and the roads but was just, it broke my heart,” said Barnes.
Barnes said she noticed the student would carry a trash bag to school every day. When she found out it was all the clothes he owned, she asked if she could wash them for him. As she was going through it, she realized he barely had anything inside.
“He had one pair of socks that had holes in them, and he had another pair of jeans that..had holes in them,” said Barnes.
She called her husband who was about the same size and asked him to gather clothes and toothbrushes from home. She also got money together for a Walmart gift card and brought everything to the student.
“He cried which of course made me cry because I do consider all of them, I mean they’re my babies. I’ve got 700 babies over there that I consider they’re mine you know? And I look out for them as best as I can,” said Barnes.
What amazed her was that even though the student slept outside in the cold at night, he never missed a day of school. But she wasn’t going to let him stay in the woods any longer.
“My issue at that time was trying to figure somewhere he could go and with him being at the age that he was, which was 17, which is not quite an adult but also still considered a juvenile, they wouldn’t take him,” said Barnes.
Barnes said she got in touch with his parents and tried to help fix the relationship. Eventually the student ended up going back home which was a relief to an officer whose passion is to protect.
“Anything could have happened to him out there and that was, that’s one of my worst fears,” said Barnes.
Barnes said since then the student has graduated high school and is no longer homeless.
She said she was shocked when she found out she received the award. But said even though she is honored and appreciates the kind words from strangers, she said she doesn’t do it for the recognition.
