Miami police honors 12 students for ‘Doing The Right Thing’ and helping save lives

MIAMI – As safety takes the national spotlight, Miami police honored 12 students out of almost 700 nominees, who serve as an inspiration to the community and were rewarded for doing the right thing.

One Miami-Dade student was one of the twelve honored by Miami police Wednesday after showcasing her bravery during a shooting scare nearly two months ago.

It was back in March when Alexandra Garcia, a seventh-grade student at Coconut Palm K-8 Academy, heard screaming and later saw people running in fear while attending the Miami-Dade Youth Fair.

After fearing that a shooting was underway, Garcia immediately ran for cover when she noticed a young girl nearby was also in search of help.

After calming the little girl down and reuniting with her own family, Garcia later saw police officers who helped the young girl find her parents.

“I just grabbed her and hugged her to comfort her so that she wouldn’t cry, and I told her that it would be alright, and she would be safe,” said Garcia.

Garcia was one of 12 students that were honored on Wednesday by Miami police as part of their monthly “Do The Right Thing Program.”

Krista Senzig, Garcia’s teacher, who submitted her for the award, told Local 10 News that she was proud to see her get the special recognition.

“She is such a special student and I’m so honored to have been able to know her and to have a relationship where she felt comfortable enough to share this story,” she said.

According to event organizers, during each month of the school year, “students are awarded for their positive behavior, actions, and good deeds and receive a host of prizes including a mini tablet, plaque, Do The Right Thing t-shirt and bumper sticker, two tickets to a Miami Marlins game, a free pizza from Papa John’s, gift cards and passes to area attractions such as Zoo Miami and Island Queen Cruises.”

The students also receive letters of congratulations from United States Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio. Two Special Recognition students are also selected and win trips to Rapids Water Park and Washington D.C.

According to organizers, Do The Right Thing has directly impacted over 250,000 youth in the Greater Miami area and has expanded to 70 other law enforcement agencies nationwide as well as to England and Germany. Building positive relationships between police and youth.

For more information about the organization, click here.


About the Authors
Ryan Mackey headshot

Ryan Mackey is a Digital Journalist at WPLG. He was born in Long Island, New York, and has lived in Sunrise, Florida since 1994.

Trent Kelly headshot

Trent Kelly is an award-winning multimedia journalist who joined the Local 10 News team in June 2018. Trent is no stranger to Florida. Born in Tampa, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he graduated with honors from the UF College of Journalism and Communications.

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