Badges and Stickers

When Tyler Police Sergeant Matthew Leigeber joined the Community Response Unit in 2016, he knew he was there for a reason. In his time of service at Tyler PD, Sgt. Leigeber has come to understand the impact of human connection and the importance of community policing.

In 2019, he was able to put his philosophy of compassion in policing into action when an employee at a restaurant needed help. Claudia Gonzalez had stopped breathing while on shift. Sgt. Leigeber was able to respond quickly, perform CPR and save her life. For some, the relationship would have stopped there. But not for Matt. Ms. Gonzalez has six children, all of whom have met and thanked Matt. Because of his swift action, their mother is alive today. He included them in the Blue Santa Christmas program of 2019 and took them shopping for the gifts they wanted.

Sgt. Leigeber was already working on his Spanish, but now Claudia and her family gave him even more motivation to cross the language barrier and meet people on their terms.

Every single time Matt sees a child, regardless of race, he makes sure to give them a Tyler Police Department sticker, a high-five, a smile or a dance move. He wants their first interaction with a police

officer to be a positive one.

#TimeToBuild #TimeToBuild

He found that taking Spanish lessons has helped diffuse a lot of tough situations. “I enjoy making people smile,” said Leigeber. “I believe if God puts you here and in a situation, you have to listen. We are here to serve everybody. There is no greater feeling than to save a life. When you are there at the right time and have the skills to do the right thing and save someone, it’s a blessing for both sides.”