WPD gives back to community, needs help

The Williams Police Department is taking an active role in making sure families in town have a great holiday season.

"Each officer will have three or four families they will adopt for Christmas," said Mike Russell, officer with the WPD who runs the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program at the Williams Elementary/Middle School. "It’s a toy drive for northern Arizona — each child will get two or three toys."

The toy drive that started 16 years ago by W. Steven Martin, a Phoenix deejay, along with the help of many police departments came to Flagstaff in 1998. That year 4,000 toys were collected and 900 kids enjoyed extra Christmas bounty. Last year 5,500-6,000 toys were collected.

"Red Rock Communications is heavily involved," said Sgt. Gerry Blair of Flagstaff Police Department. "They give us a large donation of toys every year to get the drive started."

Red Rock owns KOLT 107.5, COOL 96.7 and EAGLE 105.1 in Flagstaff. Blair said the radio stations advertise the toy drive a lot during December.

"They also help staff the booth at the mall," he said.

This year, WPD is teaming up with the Flagstaff PD and Red Rock for the annual Northern Arizona Law Enforcement Holiday Toy-Drive.

"The officers are going to identify needy families on their beats," said Frank Manson, WPD chief. "And we’re going to have officers at the mall."

Officers from both police departments will be at the Flagstaff Mall now through Dec. 22 accepting unwrapped toys and gifts for children.

Once the toys are collected, the officers get to play Santa.

"We’ll pick out the toys for each child in the family, wrap them up and drop them off right before Christmas," Russell said. "I’ve got a pretty good sized list (of families) right now."

Eight WPD personnel will be wrapping presents.

"If people have something to donate, they can bring it to the police department or the Flagstaff Mall," Russell said. "It has to be unwrapped."

There will also be a donation box at city hall. The officers are also accepting gift certificates and money as donations. Russell said giving back to the community makes him feel good.

"Kids, regardless of their background, deserve to have a nice Christmas," he said.

Russell said another way to give to the children in town and get something in return is by purchasing a raffle ticket for a kid’s electric motorcycle.

"It’s an electric battery powered motorcycle we’re raffling off for DARE," he said. "It will hold one rider up to 8-years-old.

"It has a working siren, lights and it goes forward and in reverse. And it comes with a charger."

The bike is a three wheeler and looks like a small version of a police motorcycle. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5 and the raffle will be held Dec. 22. Today (Dec. 6), the motorcycle is on display at the elementary/middle school. Thursday it will be at the WPD. Russell said he hoped to display the bike downtown at Arizona Public Service on Friday and at Safeway over the weekend.

"It would make a nice Christmas gift," Russell said.

Anyone who wants to donate a toy or who needs tickets for the motorcycle raffle can stop by WPD, 501 Route 66 or call 635-4461.