LAKE COUNTY ? Uniformed officers from four law enforcement agencies delivered gifts Wednesday to Children who were crime victims or who witnessed crime this year.
The Lake County District Attorney Victim-Witness Division staged the annual toy giveaway for more than 10 years, according to Victim-Witness Supervisor Debbie Wallace. She said 78 children got gifts this year, fewer than in years prior.
“It”s a little less, but I think that”s because a lot of people moved and we had no forwarding address, or their phones were disconnected. We worked with more kids than that,” Wallace said.
Victim-Witness advocates take names, ages and Christmas wishes of children who pass through the Victim-Witness office during the year. The information is turned into cards that are hung on a Christmas tree inside Saint Mary Immaculate in Lakeport. Parishioners buy and wrap the gifts for each child, and officers pick a day in Dec. to load the packages into patrol cars and deliver them to the children”s homes.
“Some are witnesses to domestic violence, some are individual victims of sexual assault. All kinds of kids passed through the office, whether their parents were here for domestic violence or driving under the influence or their car was hit, or they were victims of molestation,” Wallace said.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP), Lake County Sheriff”s Office (LCSO), Lakeport Police Department (LPD) and Clearlake Police Department (CPD) sent officers to deliver the brightly colored boxes and bags, as well as bicycles covered with plastic wrap this year.
The need to protect child victims prevented CHP officer Adam Garcia from revealing the names or addresses of the children on his delivery list. This is his third year delivering the presents.
“It”s nice for people to see law enforcement in a different way. We get to see the smiles on the kids when we”re there, and it”s good for them to get something for Christmas,” Garcia said.
Frank Gaul, a volunteer at the LPD helped Lt. Brad Rasmussen deliver the gifts Wednesday. Rasmussen said the department had to use two cars to deliver the gifts to eight Lakeport children. He said the LPD has been involved with the program since Victim-Witness started it; this is his second year being involved.
“What I like about it most is law enforcement being involved in doing something positive for children in the community. That”s what makes it exciting. It”s nice to see the reactions from the families when you deliver something to them. It lets them know that there are other people out there who really care about them,” Rasmussen said.
Wallace said officers also delivered gifts bought for a whole family by the Lake County Auditor”s Office staff. The office selects a family “in need of a little extra help” each year, with help from the staff at Victim-Witness.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636 ext. 37.
