Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Metro’s Santa Cop brings holidays to LV children

Beyond the Sun

Some of Las Vegas’ underprivileged children got an early visit from Santa Claus Saturday.

But Santa didn’t come in a sleigh with reindeer; he came in a Metro SWAT vehicle.

Santa’s visit was part of Metro Police’s annual Santa Cop event, held this year at the Target store at 278 S. Decatur Blvd.

More than 120 children participated in the event, which included photos with Santa.

The children were assigned to a Metro employee and taken on a shopping spree to pick their own gifts from the store. Police officers and other Metro employees nominate children they meet throughout the year for the program.

Metro employees raised more than $15,000 for the event.

While each child was given $130 in gift cards to use, Metro spokeswoman Barbara Morgan said she and many other Metro employees reached into their own pockets to help even more when they got to the Target cash register.

Morgan said she enjoyed shopping with the 6-year-old girl she was helping, and the event was an opportunity for the department to do something positive after some difficult events this year.

“It felt really good, it’s always nice to give back to the community,” she said.

“It was just a very festive feeling. Everyone could kind of take a sigh of relief -- it’s been a very tough year for us.”

And Morgan said the kids were more than happy to receive the gifts.

“These kids are just very appreciative,” she said. “This is just something they don’t usually get to do. They don’t usually get to pick and get what they want.”

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