DENVER -- Arthur Robinson hadn’t seen his family in 20 years.
He was living in an alley two blocks from Coors Field when Denver police officer Alicia Harris met him in late December. Robinson had found a vent that let off warm air and set up a tarp to keep the heat in. Harris was concerned about Robinson. It was the middle of winter, and a homeless man had been run over in that same alley not too long before.
Over the next month, she worked to connect Robinson with his family, taking bits of information he shared to put together a search. On Tuesday, the police department honored Harris with the Unparalleled Community Impact Award for her work helping Robinson get home.
“She spends more time and gets to know people she works with in the homeless community more than anybody else on the job,” said Sgt. Brian Conover, her supervisor on the department’s homeless outreach team. “They know her. They look for her when they need help.”
At first, Robinson didn’t want to talk to Harris. He didn’t want help, she said.
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