METRO Board Recognizes MPD Officers' Commitment to Community

METRO board

Today METRO’s Board of Directors honored several members of the METRO Police Department for going beyond the call of duty.

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'A Lifelong Friend' | METRO PD Officer Helps Reunite Man With His Family

It was the end of his shift, but METRO Police Officer Brian McDonough didn't hesitate to help a young man who was desperate to get across the country to reunite with his family members. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ METRO is the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas – serving the Houston region with safe, clean, reliable, accessible and friendly public transportation services. We operate: • Local buses • METRORail (light rail) • METRORapid (bus rapid transit) • Park & Ride buses* • curb2curb (neighborhood shuttles) • HOV/HOT lanes • METROLift (paratransit service in City of Houston and most of Harris County) • METRO STAR Vanpool (in portions of an eight county region) * There are more than 25 Park & Ride locations throughout the Greater Houston Area, making it easy for you to park your car and get on board with METRO. For more about METRO, including fare information, schedules, maps, and how to ride – please visit: https://www.RideMETRO.org

In September, Officer Brian McDonough was approached by a Venezuelan immigrant who was stranded in Houston and needed help reuniting with his family in New York City. Guillermo Rodriguez had only $10 to his name before striking up a friendship with Officer McDonough.

With the help of Officers Jose Gonzalez, Noe Gonzalez, Brendon Hernandez, Julianna Moreno and Alexis Carvajales, the group raised enough funds for a bus ticket and provided him with clothes, a cell phone and other personal items for his trip.

"Each of you exemplifies the very best of METRO, and quite frankly, humanity," said President & CEO Tom Lambert during the meeting. "We thank you for that, and for your outstanding service."

The Board also acknowledged Officer Manojkumar Pooparayil who received an award from the South Indian U.S. Chamber of Commerce for his outstanding service. The award recognizes his selfless and tireless efforts toward inspiring greatness within the community.