Alpena Police and Sheriff’s Department assist in birthday surprise

ALPENA, Mich. — Jalin, like many other kids these days, is stuck at home. However, it makes it even worse you you’re trying to celebrate a birthday. He was pretty bummed that he wasn’t having a party this year for his ninth birthday, but things changed when his mom Jessica told him something was happening outside.

Jessica wanted to give her son a special present this year, so she called the sheriff’s department to see if they could have a vehicle drive by. Little did she know, they weren’t going to bring just one car. “I fibbed and I said your teacher is going to come tell you happy birthday because he lives right by his school,” she said. “So he was kind of excited about that but then he started seeing the police come around the back of his dad’s house, and then he said, ‘mom I see a cop, I see another one, oh I see the sheriff, oh another one!’ and I think he realized what was going on then.”

Jalin said he was not expecting this kind of surprise. “I was really surprised, but really happy at the same time,” he said. “I haven’t had any other birthdays like this.” According to his mom, Jalin has been saying he wants to become a police officer since he was two years old. Whenever he sees one out in public he always wants to go say hi, and if they’re up to it, snap a quick picture. “They do a lot for our city and help us out a lot. I’ve really liked them since I was three or four years old,” he said.

Sheriff Kieliszewski was there and even led the singing of happy birthday over the speaker. He also let the birthday boy know how much he appreciates the support. Both the Alpena Police Department and Sheriff’s Department presented him with envelopes containing presents.  The sheriff’s department sent him his own patch, and the police department named him a junior officer.

Jessica said she’s so thankful for both of the departments making her son’s birthday special. “I would just really like to thank them,” she said. “They went above and beyond and they’re just amazing. I couldn’t have asked for anything more better for him. It was so special for him. He loved it.”