Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SOUTH JORDAN — We're only three days into March and already this year the United States has seen 16 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty — 12 of them shot to death, including Unified Police Officer Doug Barney here in Utah.
It's enough to make even the friendliest officer question his or her career choice. But when officers get something like two South Jordan police officers received Thursday, it helps remind them why they do this job.
Baylee Quiroz's great-grandmother died in December, and the eight-grader is the one who found her. Not knowing who else to call, Baylee knew the police would help.
"It means a lot to her, the officers who helped her that day," said Tiffany Quiroz, Baylee's mother.
"They were clearly grieving and needed help with the steps and the whole process," said South Jordan police officer Alexis Iversen, one of the officers who responded to Baylee's call.
"We just sat there at the table with them and helped them grieve through the process," said South Jordan Police Sgt. Josh Whatcott, who was also there.
"They were extremely nice. They were calm," Baylee said.
Whatcott and Iversen didn't realize their impact until Thursday morning when Baylee showed up at the police station with a school memorial project she created. The tri-fold display is dedicated to law enforcement officers, showing a police badge for each U.S. officer recently killed in the line of duty.
"Their job is extremely dangerous," Baylee said. "They could get shot at any moment."
She even wrote them a letter, thanking Whatcott and Iversen for helping with her great-grandmother's death.
"Obviously, you can see the big heart she has," Whatcott said.
"She's wonderful. It's very rare, nowadays, to get that from citizens. It's absolutely wonderful," Iversen said.
For Baylee, those dark days are finally getting brighter thanks to her two new friends.
"The police officers need more credit. They do a lot, and they need to be appreciated," she said.
For anyone who would like to see Baylee's memorial, it will be on display in the downstairs lobby at the South Jordan Police Department, 1600 W. Towne Center Drive, for at least the next couple of weeks.
