SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Officer Larry DePrimo, NYPD, was working the night shift along Broadway earlier this month when he saw a man sitting on the sidewalk who had no socks or shoes. It was a cold night, especially along the sidewalks. I knew I had to do something, he told a press conference Thursday. The New York policeman ran into a shoe store and bought the man socks and boots - $75 on a policeman's salary. A tourist from Arizona named Jennifer Foster got a shot on her cellphone of Larry DePrimo presenting the man with socks and his size 12 boots. The picture has since been sent around the world over the web. Officer DePrimo says he keeps the receipt in his bulletproof vest. It's an important reminder, he says, that no matter how bad you think your day is, some people have it worse. A visitor from Arizona truly saw New York's finest.
Weekend Edition host Scott Simon brings us a story of a little bit of holiday kindness, courtesy of a New York City policeman who brought a homeless man a pair of boots, and the photo that spread the story across the Internet.