NAPLES, Fla. — It's not the typical role of our law enforcement.
"It's not every day that you get to play Santa," said Lieutenant Bryan McGinn, Naples Police Department.
Through the Naples Police Department's annual Fill-A-Patrol Car Toy Drive, they say officers have gathered more than $60,000 in donations over the last 3 years.
"We fill the patrol car out front and once that gets full, we'll put another one out there if we need to," said McGinn. "We just keep doing that until we can get everything out to Project Help."
Through the local not-for-profit, Project Help Naples, they are bringing Christmas cheer even outside of the neighborhoods.
"Just like anywhere else, we have plenty of people in our community that wouldn't be able to have such a Christmas without some sort of benefit or some sort of help and that's where we're just looking to fill the gap," said McGinn.
Project Help and the Naples Police Department have worked together for decades but now they are in their second year of bringing locals a different kind of help.
"Right now, jobs are not paying as well as they should, based on the economy, so these gifts Naples Police Department are collecting for the community are going to help these people not have to worry about a little extra financial burden," said Eileen Wesley, CEO Project Help Naples.
The toy drive will continue from now until December 14 in the police department lobby.
