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LOS ANGELES AIRPORT POLICE / SANTA CLAUS SPREAD HOLIDAY CHEER
(Los Angeles, California – December 28, 2015) The Los Angeles Airport Police and Santa Claus hand out teddy bears to children for Christmas.
On December 22nd the Los Angeles Airport Police in cooperation with Los Angeles School Police, Los Angeles Port Police, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the cities of Vernon, Bell, El Monte and Alhambra police Departments collected teddy bears donated by officers and employees with assistance from Kenner Unlimited, Linzy, Imperial, Los Angeles Airport Police Athletic League and Cal Plush, handed out teddy bears to the children of the pediatric unit of LA/USC Medical Center.
The second annual event organized by Los Angeles School Police Motor Officer Ron Chacon was an overwhelming success. “Last year we collected and distributed 500 bears and hope to raise 1500 this year” said officer Chacon at a December 2nd organizational meeting.
Officer Chacon was overjoyed when on December 22nd all the agencies gathered at the LASPD East Division to motorcade to LA/USC Medical Center to deliver more than twice the number of bears Chacon had hoped to collect.
Officers personally handed out the stuffed animals to each child and had so many left that children will be receiving bears for months to come.
The Los Angeles Airport Police borrowed a page from the School Police book and on Christmas Day handed out teddy bears to children traveling on Christmas morning. Mr. Steve Van Noord, uncle of Motor Officer Nick Van Dragt spent his Christmas morning dressed as Santa Claus walking the terminals with Airport Police handing out teddy bears to children and taking pictures with children and adults. The travelers were so surprised to see Jolly St. Nick that their faces lit up with joy.
"To see the look on the faces of the parents was as rewarding as seeing the look on the faces of the children." said Motor Sgt. John Hernandez, who walked the terminals with other officers of the Motor Unit. "This was such a success that we need to do this again next year."
The Los Angeles Airport Police is the nation's premier aviation law-enforcement agency with more than 1,100 specially trained police officers, security officers, and civilian staff protecting Los Angeles International, LA/Ontario International, and Van Nuys airports.
Photographs courtesy of CSI Shawn Smith & PIO Officer Rob Pedregon
