Santa and His Police Officer Elves Bring Holiday Cheer

Thanks to a community partnership between law enforcement and Professionals Auto Body of Altoona, four Martinsburg children got an early Christmas surprise when Santa showed up at their door bearing gifts on Monday afternoon, Dec. 21.

Lindsay Maxwell and her children, Eelina, 9, Nieyah, 7, Abel, 6, and Lyrah, 4, met Santa and his police helpers on the front porch of their Allegheny Street home to receive gifts and to get to know the people who protect their community a little better.

Jamie Robison of Professionals Auto Body said this is the seventh year his company has teamed up with law enforcement to spread Christmas cheer to children of Blair County.

Robison said this year they have been able to visit 15 families while distributing gifts to 46 kids.

"Every year we try to find families who are struggling," he said. "It doesn't always have to be financial. Sometimes they are going through hardships and can't provide a Christmas."

Robison said this year was especially important to reach out to the kids because of the hardships the COVID-19 pandemic has caused families.

"We realized that this is probably one of the years we really needed to do this for everybody," he said.

For the law enforcement community, visiting kids at their homes is an opportunity to show them that the police are here to help.

"I love interacting with the kids," said Officer Logan Tornatore of the Martinsburg Police Department.

Tornatore said policing in a smaller community like Martinsburg, reaching out to the community should be a priority.

"It is a way we can reach out to the community and let them know we are here to serve them," he said.

North Woodbury Township Police Chief David Rosamilia said Cove area police have more of an opportunity to interact with children than their bigger city counterparts.

"The kids that are here, we do have a lot more interaction with them," he said. "It really makes us feel good to be in this type of community because they do back us and we back them"

Tornatore and Rosamilia said participating in a program like Santa's visit shows kids that police are there for more than arresting people which can foster a generational respect for police.

Blair County Sheriff James Ott said his office is always looking for ways to reach out to the community and Santa's visit provided another opportunity to do just that.

"Any time something like this comes along, we want to be a part of it," he said.

Ott said community outreach is an important part of law enforcement.

"Our office wants to always be involved in the community," he said. "Whether it is driving Santa around or interacting with people at community events, it is very important to me.

Ott said teaching kids early on that police are the good guys

"Today's setting was different than if we were here for a call for service that might put a different opinion in the kids' mind," he said. "By doing this today it is giving them a better connection with law enforcement besides something that might make them scared or afraid."

For Lindsay Maxwell, the visit from Santa and the police meant much more than the gifts they brought with them.

"I think it is great that the police came along because it shows the kids that they are just normal people doing a job just like everyone else," she said. "A lot of kids think the police only come around when they are in trouble and them coming with Santa definitely gives them a different outlook."