Dallas Police Department Santa Cops Toy Drive

Now through December 11, 2018, the North Dallas Chamber and several members throughout the city will serve as drop-off locations for toys, books and other donations, with the goal of raising awareness of the Santa Cops program and increasing donations for families in need.

A little about Santa Cops

In 1984, Dallas Police officers created and developed a program known as Santa Cops, designed to assist members of the community who have been victims of crime. A Santa Cops request form is completed by members of the department who have identified a family in need. The form is then forwarded to the selection committee to determine if the family meets the criteria of the program. Those that are selected, based on officers’ observations and comments, are prioritized by need. The next step is the best part of the process: watching the children’s faces when the officers bring the toys to their home. This project typically delivers the fruits of its efforts on the Saturday before Christmas to the citizens of Dallas.

The Santa Cops program has assisted over 10,000 families throughout the years. In recent years, the program has been able to help more than 600 families each year, and in 2016, Kate’s Books was launched to donate books to Santa Cops.