January 24th, 2024

Case #05666
On 01/24/2024, at approximately 1400 hours, Officer Perkins was on uniformed School Resource Officer
detail when he was contacted by the principal of Ridgeview Elementary School. She advised that there
were two students she was concerned about and wanted Officer Perkins to follow up with them. She
provided Officer Perkins the names of the children. The male is a first grader and the female is a fourth
grader. Officer Perkins asked the principal, who did not want her name in the report, what her overall
concern was and she advised me that the school had provided clothing to the two children, but were not
able to secure any winter boots for the kids and that their feet were sopping wet this morning when
they showed up to school. She also informed me that the family was living at the Kennewick Inn and
Suites motel where mom and dad shared two rooms with five total kids. Officer Perkins advised the
principal that he would respond to the motel and check on the family.
Officer Perkins responded to the Kennewick Inn and Suites motel and learned the family was currently in
room #111. He knocked on the door and contacted the mother and her partner. Officer Perkins
introduced himself and informed them as to why he was there. He asked them to tell him their story and
they appeared to be hesitant to speak with him. Officer Perkins affirmed them that he wanted to help
them and their five children. Officer Perkins informed them that he had been contacted by the school
and that the school was concerned about the kids and he wanted to again, just help. The partner then
stepped to the door and began telling Officer Perkins the family's story. In summary, he stated that
about a year ago, he lost his job as a roofer and the family had lost their apartment because he was
unable to secure employment. He stated that a family member in Florida convinced them all to relocate
down to a property in Florida and that there was work waiting for him when he got there.
Unfortunately, when the family arrived in Florida there was no work and after only a short time of
staying with the family they were forced to leave the property and had no place to go. A family member
was able to pay for flights back to Washington for the seven-member family and they have been in the
motel since. He advised that he is only able to secure part time work right now and plans on going to
Bend, OR. in March for a landscaping job. Until that time comes the family is staying in the motel with
government assistance and food stamps. Officer Perkins thanked the partner for telling him his story

and offered to buy the two school age children winter boots to help them with the remainder of the
winter. They advised that there was a third child that had no shoes at all that fit him and Officer Perkins
informed them that he would have no problem paying for a pair of boots for the third child. Before
departing to buy snow boots from Sportsman's Warehouse, Officer Perkins asked them why the children
were being picked up by the school administration every day and not riding the bus. They informed
Officer Perkins that they were confused on where the KSD bus was going to pick the kids up at. Officer
Perkins clarified the location with the reporting party prior to his contact and provided them an exact
address and a map to the location from the motel. Officer Perkins also asked the partner how the family
was getting around. He informed Officer Perkins that family was not able to travel together as there
were seven of them and the vehicle they currently owned could only seat five people. He hesitantly told
Officer Perkins that on rare occasions the family would have to put the two youngest children on the
floor boards of the vehicle and drive with the two youngest sitting unsecured on the rear floor boards.
Officer Perkins informed him that this illegal and inherently dangerous. He responded that he
understood, but had no choice. He did not have any money to buy a different car and had no solution if
the family had to travel together.
Officer Perkins did not immediately have a solution for the vehicle issue he described so he departed the
motel and went to Sportsman's Warehouse. Officer Perkins purchased three pairs of winter/waterproof
boots for the three oldest children and delivered them back to the motel. Each child tried on the boots
and appeared excited to have warm shoes. The entire family was very thankful to KPD for the gesture
and advised they would contact the school or KPD if any other assistance was needed. Both mother and
her partner informed Officer Perkins they had plenty of food for the children and would not accept
anything else from KPD. They would not allow any photos of the children to be taken when asked.
Officer Perkins utilized the KPD Community Care Fund to purchase the boots