A New Jersey postal inspector recently helped a sick child realize his dream of becoming a police officer, if only for a day.
Trent Powers, a 3-year-old Spotswood, NJ, boy, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a fatal illness.
After James Buthorn, the inspector-in-charge of the Postal Inspection Service’s Newark Division, heard about Trent, he tapped into his law enforcement network to organize a “Fed for a Day” program to honor him.
“We were looking to raise awareness, raise spirits and support the family,” Buthorn said.
Trent began his “work day” by arriving at the Newark federal courthouse in a Secret Service limo escorted by volunteers from the Inspection Service and other federal agencies.
After a presentation of colors by Customs and Border Patrol and a helicopter flyover by the New Jersey state police aviation unit, Trent was deputized as a federal agent by the U.S. Marshals Service.
A highlight of Trent’s day involved the mail.
A postal inspector, along with federal K9 units, helped Trent pursue a mail theft lead, which led to a mock arrest and seizure of a “stolen” package — which contained gifts for the little investigator.
The Federal Law Enforcement Foundation was also on hand to present the Powers family with a $1,000 donation for their nonprofit organization, PowersPromise.
Buthorn is happy his federal colleagues could help.
“If we can stand side by side every day to fight crime, then we can come together to support a young kid who needs assistance,” he said.
