Monroe police officers respond to a code birthday

Not every 4-year-old boy gets to be serenaded by three unformed police officers during his birthday celebration, but anything is possible when you live in Monroe.

When Jackson Bottjer woke up on Thursday, Sept. 17, he was excited about turning four. He asked his mom, Jennifer, if police officers would sing "Happy BirthdayGÇ¥ to him.-á

"He just loves the police,GÇ¥ Jennifer said.

Jennifer had planned a birthday celebration for Jackson that evening at 5 p.m. at the Monroe Red Robin. She made a general inquiry on the "You Had Me at MonroeGÇ¥ Facebook page shortly after 2:30, asking if any uniformed police officers might be available to make her son's birthday wish come true.-á Within about 20 minutes, You Had Me at Monroe administrator Bridgette Tuttle spotted the request, and alerted several members of the Monroe Police Department through "tagging.GÇ¥

When a Facebook user is tagged in a post, they receive an online notification that calls their attention to whatever is happening in that post.-á

Off-duty Monroe K9 Officer Jason Southard saw the request and forwarded it along the appropriate channels. Detective Spencer Robinson also caught wind of the request and vowed to find a way to make something happen for Jackson.

Monroe Police Department police support specialist Macy Brownlee Haverly helped facilitate things on the back end, along with administrative director Debbie Willis, Sgt. Ryan Irving and administrative supervisor Sherri Simonson.

But the visit was not a sure thing; if the officers were busy responding to calls, they wouldn't have been able to accommodate the request. Numerous Monroe residents ' friends and strangers alike 'monitored the Facebook conversation, eagerly seeking an update.

They weren't disappointed. At just before 6 p.m., Red Robin waitress Bonnie Greer escorted Monroe Police officers Devin Tucker, Trevor Larson and Joe Stark back to Jackson's table.-á

"I love being a part of this community. Everyone is so sweet,GÇ¥ Greer said. "I just moved from the Seattle area two years ago, and this small community has really grown on me.GÇ¥

The officers came bearing gifts that included MPD balloons, a set of K9 trading cards, stickers and safety-themed coloring pages. The three officers chatted with Jackson and, per the young man's special birthday request, sang him "Happy Birthday.GÇ¥

Detective Robinson stopped by a short while later, still dressed from the day's range training. He serves on the North Sound Metro Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, a multi-jurisdictional team deployed during high-risk incidents. The team engages in tactical training three days per month, and Thursday was a training day.

But Robinson knew it had been a busy day at the department, and he was concerned about whether officers would be able to make it. He stopped by as soon as he could, to make sure Jackson got his visit from a police officer.

Robinson, a 10-year Monroe Police veteran, has described himself as someone with a soft spot for kids. Last December, he organized the department's first Shop-with-a-Cop event, which enabled 10 Monroe kids to shop to their hearts' content at both Fred Meyer and Walmart.

Jennifer posted photos on Facebook and thanked the officers for helping wish her son a happy birthday.

"He was absolutely in heaven,GÇ¥ Jennifer wrote. "After they left, he said, "Mommy, I love them!' Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking time out of your day to do something so special!GÇ¥