The members of Harlem’s 28th Precinct held a special Winter Wonderland inside the station house on Monday night, bringing the joys of the holidays to community members in need.
Excited families lined up outside 2271-89 Frederick Douglass Blvd. on Dec. 23, where officers had gathered a mountain of toys to distribute to children — with Santa Claus stopping by amid his busy schedule to meet visitors.
The children’s faces lit up as they entered the precinct and met NYPD’s remote-controlled robot dog ‘Digidog’ before being given the opportunity to choose their own gift.
“It really allows the community to have a better outlook on the police department, and that builds trust. Because now they get to see the police in a different light. They have a very good and vivid memory of the police, and it’s an occasion where there is not an adverse interaction. This is an exchange of a gift, which means it leaves a very good taste in everyone’s mouth and a good impression on both ends,” Assistant Chief at Patrol Borough Manhattan North Ruel Stephenson said.
In addition to meeting ‘Digidog’ and Santa, youngsters also laughed as the Grinch was locked up in police custody, making sure no one would steal this Christmas celebration. Not even pounding on the window could get him out of holiday jail.
While Chief Stephenson declared it paramount that families get to enjoy the festivities, he also declared that it was important that his officers get to give back and experience a positive holiday moment after dealing with some of the worst the city has to offer.
“Our cops, day to day, are dealing with stressful situations, and it often involves someone getting shot, offering assistance to a victim of a car crash or domestic violence victim. That is a build up of so much negative that happens that police officers don’t often have an opportunity to experience the good in the community. So, this is a positive that does impact stress, it actually helps to alleviate stress because now the cops are doing something really good,” Stephenson explained.
The event took place from 4 to 7 p.m. and saw children up to the age of 15 pick from toys that included Lego, Minecraft, Hotwheels, Star Wars, dolls, Nerf guns, and more.
