Community enjoys unannounced gift giveaway by Santa Ana police

By Greg Mellen

When a caravan of police cars rolls onto a scene, people usually head in the other direction. But on this particular December day, kids flocked toward the police, who had a pickup truck stuffed with holiday gifts.

The informal and unannounced event was created about five years ago, according to Santa Ana Police Chief David Valentin, as a way to further connect with the community during the holiday season. The event is also kept under wraps until the police arrive on site.

“I think it’s a unique approach because it’s not expected,” Valentin said. “This is spontaneous.”

While planned and announced gift giveaways can easily become overrun, Valentin prefers the more organic connections that are formed when the team arrives unexpectedly in the community bearing gifts.

On a recent Wednesday afternoon about 10 officers in cruisers, city SUVs, and city trucks wound their way through Santa Ana, with stops at several city parks and the Evergreen Street and Minnie Street neighborhoods. The toys the department was handing out, ranging from sports balls and equipment to dolls and toys to games, were bought by the department using proceeds from the annual 5-kilometer Holiday Fun Run/Walk. Police personnel and their families pay to participate in the event, raising thousands of dollars that are dispersed during the holidays.

At Jerome Park, the first stop of the caravan, about a dozen kids ran up to receive gifts. James Lua, 6, immediately began rolling his new toy truck around by the playground.

“I really never had a toy truck before,” he said.

At Rosita Park, the caravan pulled up near Vianney Benicia and her four-year-old son, Erick, who were just getting out of their car.

“I was like, ‘What happened?’ I was scared,” Vianney said of the unexpected arrival of the police. However, after Erick was loaded down with a soccer ball and a “Reel Them In!” fishing game, she was a lot happier.

“It’s really nice. It’s a surprise,” she said.

The team hit the jackpot at Evergreen and Minnie streets, where children quickly spread the word and others poured out of nearby apartments to get in on the action.

“I’m going to see if my family wants to play the game with me,” Carlos Romero, 11, said after snagging a game.

Teresa Miller, a resident of the neighborhood, was delighted to see the kids happy. Nearby, twins Markie and Kaylie Zamora, 7, were comparing their presents, while Janice Cruz, 5, struggled to maintain control of a ball and doll.

“It’s so good to see the police like this, instead of the way we usually see them in this neighborhood,” Miller said, watching the officers engulfed by happy children as they passed out soccer balls and basketballs, skateboards, dolls, games and toys.

“Santa Claus came,” exclaimed Michael Vasquez, a CalTrans worker, who had arrived home from work just in time to watch the giveaway.

“I think it’s definitely great for the kids,” said Deputy Chief Robert Rodriguez as he watched the children on Minnie Street empty out the rest of the toys in the truck. “More important, it strengthens our relationship in the community.”

Rodriguez said he grew up on the Westside of Santa Ana and never saw anything like the gift giveaway at the time.

“I think it’s good for (the children) to see us in a positive light,” Rodriguez said as the late afternoon light faded.

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