Youngstown cops collect hundreds of toys today for 3rd annual Fill a Cruiser event

YOUNGSTOWN

Sometimes, Santa wears a badge and rolls in a police cruiser.

The Youngstown Police Department’s third annual Fill A Cruiser campaign today collected hundreds of new toys that will eventually be distributed to children of needy families for Christmas.

A prisoner-transport wagon, surrounded by regular patrol cruisers, was parked in the St. Christine Church parking lot, and by mid-afternoon, was crammed full of new toys.

Officer George Wallace, who first organized the event three years ago, said the toys will be sorted, then distributed to families on Dec. 23. The department is working this year with agencies like Sojourner House to determine which families will be helped.

The first year, the department collected enough toys to provide Christmas gifts for seven families, and last year’s event helped 22 families, Wallace said. There were still toys left over that were given to the Salvation Army for distribution. He said the number of families helped this year will depend on how many toys are collected.

Read more about the project in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.