Police officer's family turns dust to art
After making about 40 trips through harsh conditions to assist residents, Temple Police Lt. Tim Simeroth’s patrol vehicle looked a little worse for wear. But the dust-covered police car made the perfect canvas for his family to express their positive and uplifting artistic abilities.
“My wife is an art teacher at Lake Belton High School,” Simeroth said. “They just wanted to do something, and they hoped it would make somebody smile.”
Self-portraits, family pets and cartoon characters donned the back of the Ford Explorer, which was covered in dust as a result of TPD’s efforts to assist residents during Winter Storm Uri.
“We started out doing welfare checks, and then we transitioned into moving people to the warming centers,” Simeroth said. “Between me and the other people who use my patrol car, we probably transported 30-40 people just in my car.”
Throughout the course of the winter event, Temple Police and Fire personnel worked around the clock to check in on residents and get them the resources they needed.
“There are so many people we helped who were elderly and who probably would not have survived otherwise,” Simeroth said. “They appreciated everything we did.”
Lt. Simeroth’s patrol car and the rest of TPD’s fleet will soon be washed clean, but the resilient spirit that was evident during Winter Storm Uri will live on long after the dust and artwork are washed away.