Rolling down the streets of Menlo Park, Calif. in his wheelchair, many assume Tom Littlewood is homeless. After all, he roams the streets during the afternoon and evening and his cerebral palsy means talking can be difficult.

But that’s all part of Littlewood’s cover. In fact, he is a man on a mission, prepared with a list of suspicious vehicles to watch out for and a police radio tuned in his ear. Littlewood patrols the streets as a volunteer for the local police department.

In recent years, Littlewood helped catch burglars on two different occasions, once when he spotted a suspicious looking U-Haul and another time when he found $5,000 cash. He also acts as a good neighbor. He reports graffiti and once lent a woman his cell phone to report a car accident.

Unlike the police, Littlewood is able to spend time in one spot and observe. And people tend to say things around him that they wouldn’t if a uniformed cop was nearby.

For his part, Littlewood, who lives on disability, says helping the police is his way of paying back society, reports the Daily News (Palo Alto, Calif.). To read more click here.

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