Tustin City Hall transforms into Whoville for Santa Cop event

By Behind the Badge staff

The parking lot outside Tustin City Hall turned into a merry Whoville for local families on Saturday morning, thanks to the generosity of the Tustin Police Department and other volunteers making the holiday season bright.

The scene was the 33rd annual Santa Cop, a Tustin tradition. The event started in 1989 as a sit-down dinner for about a dozen families in need, but has since morphed into a drive-through gifting event because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year the car-centric style returned, with Whoville theming and other decorative touches from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

Participating families — this year had 83 on the roster, which included 215 children — started their morning by first passing through a check-in station. Then, they drove around the parking lot, past the giant Tustin Police Department’s Santa Sleigh and signs that told the Grinch’s story.

Christmas music played from the Santa Sleigh, keeping the mood cheery. The parking lot trees were full of giant hanging ornaments, stars, and candy canes. Cutouts from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” were placed throughout the lot.

Police Services Officer Jennifer Jones loves Christmas, and putting on the Santa Cop event.

“It’s almost like a feeling you can’t describe,” Jones said. “You experience Christmas through kids’ eyes. They see the magic. They know it’s something positive … and they know we all care. Otherwise, we wouldn’t do it.”

The first Santa Cop station was staffed by volunteers distributing adult and children’s pajamas provided by the Tustin Community Foundation. The second was a hot cocoa tent, with the drinks made even more delicious by little touches like heavy cream and marshmallows.

Station three was dubbed Cindy Lou Who’s Supermarket, where families received $50 Stater Bros gift cards. Notably, at this spot families and children met the Grinch himself and Cindy Lou Who (aka Mackenzie Newman, executive assistant to the Chief Stu Greenberg).

Chris Landgraf, husband of Police Services Officer Briana Landgraf, was on Grinch duty. Even with his infamously vile disposition, the Grinch was a beloved sight for all passing through Cindy Lou Who’s Supermarket.

“I love this. It just makes my heart happy to see all the kids smiling,” said Briana Landgraf, who was participating in Santa Cop for the first time. “Hopefully we’re making a difference in these families’ holiday.”

The final station was composed of two tents with personnel tasked with distributing large holiday-themed bags of items that came from donation drives at City Hall and the Tustin Police Department. Some of the bags, dubbed Santa Sacks, were large enough to fill an entire car trunk.

That made Community Impact Officer Glenn Hollingsworth, who was manning the final station, feel a bit like Santa Claus.

“As soon as they pull in, they see me, they see the decorations, and they probably don’t expect all this stuff,” he said. “When we give them the gifts, they look super happy.”

Jones summed up the charitable morning: “Community relations, this is what it’s all about! Finding ways to serve our community.”