SBPD holds second Santa Cop event

Community-Oriented Policing Team brings holiday cheer to six Seal Beach families

Santa Claus and Seal Beach Police partner to make the season a bit brighter. Courtesy photo

For  the  second year in a row, Santa Claus asked the  Seal Beach Police Department to help him deliver holiday gifts to families in need.

On  Wednesday, Dec. 28,  the Seal Beach Police Department’s Community-Oriented Policing Team visited several Seal Beach families to participate in the second annual “Santa Cop” holiday season community outreach event. In partnership with Target, the  SBPD, and West Cities Police Communications, officers and dispatch personnel visited several families who needed a little extra holiday cheer this  year.  The Seal Beach Police Department asked the community to anonymously nominate families who were struggling or had fallen on  hard times. Several community members wrote in and six  Seal Beach families were nominated and chosen to receive donations.

More than $2,000 in donations were raised for  Santa Cop. The money was spent on  purchasing gifts and toys. These funds were donated by:

• The Seal Beach Target store,

• The Seal Beach Police Officers’ Association and the Seal Beach Police Management Association,

• The  West Cities Police Communications Employee Association,

• and a generous donation of $450 from an  anonymous donor.

After the  gifts were purchased they were wrapped, transported, and presented to the families by the  Seal Beach Police and West Cities Communications employees, and Santa Claus himself!  In addition to toys and other gifts, the  families were donated a grocery store gift  card.  “It was a wonderful experience being able to give back to the  community,” said Community-Oriented Policing Team Officer Victor Ruiz.  “It is a testament to the closeness of Seal Beach that community members would nominate their friends and neighbors. We  thank the  anonymous donor who contributed $450 to this  cause.”

Santa Claus has asked the  Seal Beach Police Department to continue this  event next year. To  learn more about the  ways the  Seal Beach Police Department helps to keep our community safe, follow us  on  Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @sealbeachpolice.