BALTIMORE — It was a law enforcement meet-up that had been in the making for almost 10 years, and it all started with a letter from a young boy.
WATCH: A meeting 10 years in the making and it all started with a letter
From a young age, Camren Gough always knew he wanted to be in law enforcement.
"Growing up saying that you wanted to be a police officer wasn't an ideal thing to say around certain people," Gough said.
When he was 12 years old, he wrote the then Baltimore City Police Commissioner Kevin Davis a note thanking the department for all they do.
Earlier today @CommishKDavis received a letter from a 12 year-old (..almost 13!) Here is his response back to Camren pic.twitter.com/179tWhJA5h
— jeremysilbert (@JeremySilbert) July 11, 2016
"This was right after the Freddy Gray riots, so I felt like the agency just needed some type of motivation and support knowing that somebody from the city was actually out there still supporting them."
And to his surprise, he got a response.
The then commissioner Davis thanking him and saying he'd like to meet him someday.
10 years later, that meeting finally happened with Gough now a Deputy with the Baltimore City Sheriff's office.
Davis, now Police Chief of the Fairfax County Police department told WMAR-2 News that Gough's letter came at a perfect time.
"It was certainly a traumatic time for the city, and so many things were happening then. So to receive a letter from a then 12-year-old, a very articulate 12-year-old, kind of lifting up his police department made us all feel good," Davis said, "It certainly cements the fact that you have to take the time to interact with people who take the time to interact with you."
Gough has been a Deputy with the Sheriff's Office for a year and works with the warrant squad.
He said the response was invaluable to his journey to chase his law enforcement dreams.
"It continued to motivate me to know that there was somebody else out there, other than my family members that supported me in this role."
Sheriff Sam Cogen told us that law enforcement needs more of the passion he's seen in his deputy.
"If we're trying to improve and professionalize law enforcement and make it community-centered, people have to come from the city, and they have to love the city, and they have to want to give back," Cogen said.
Davis told us what needs to happen to have more success stories like Deputy Gough.
“We have to do our best to get in the schools either with our school resource officers or with our patrol officers and at least introduce ourselves to young people when it’s not a time of chaos.”
Gough has a message for any young kids out there with the same dreams as him.
"Don't be scared to step into it cause it's definitely a rewarding career."
He and Davis plan to keep in touch from now on.
