SBPD’s Santa Cop Program Brings Holiday Cheer

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 Dec. 28, SBPD’s Community- Oriented Policing (COP) Team visited several Seal Beach families to participate in the second annual “Santa Cop” holiday season community outreach event.

In partnership with Target, SBPD and West Cities Police Communications, officers and dispatch personnel visited several families who needed a little extra holiday cheer this year. SBPD 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.

Over $2,000 was raised and it was spent on purchasing gifts and toys. These funds were donated by:

•Seal Beach Target store

•Seal Beach Police Officers’ Association (POA) and the Seal Beach Police

•Management Association (PMA)

•West Cities Police Communications Employee Association

•An anonymous donor gave $450 Gifts were presented to families by the Seal Beach Police and West Cities Communications employees, and Santa Claus himself. In addition to toys and other gifts, families were given grocery store gift cards.

“It was a wonderful experience being able to give back to the community,” said Community-Oriented Policing Team Officer Victor Ruiz.