- April 18, 2024
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Officer John Dovine radios in to North Pole Headquarters to discuss 3-year-old Bella Chavez-Salazar's placement on the Naughty and Nice List (Photos by Emily Blackwood).
Bella Chavez-Salazar cheesin' big with Santa Claus in Walmart.
Officer Jay Brennan, Officer Santa Claus and Officer John Dovine
Officer Jay Brennan and Santa Claus dig through their big bag of toys to find the perfect gift for each nice kid.
Santa Claus, Brittney Alexandra and her pup.
Brooklyn Belz, 4, rushed to give Santa a big hug.
Officer John Dovine and Santa Claus handed out Naughty or Nice tickets to Ormond Beach kids.
Santa Claus and Trudy Neu
Santa Claus and Princess Davis
Santa Claus and his officers surprised kids in Publix Dec. 10.
Santa Claus and Michael Ray
Santa Claus rode shotgun in an Ormond Beach Police car.
Xander Mills, 4, made sure Santa knew everything that was on his list.
Sitting at the intersection of Williamson and Granada Boulevards, Officer Jay Brennan cranks up the Christmas radio to accommodate his new partner. The new guy might not be dressed in official uniform, but his red and white suit gives him enough authority to determine who's been naughty or nice in Ormond Beach.
"Hey my song is on," Santa Claus shouted as "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" plays on the radio. "Yup I'm in town today. Ho ho ho, Santa is on patrol."
From the passenger seat in Officer Brennan's police car, Claus waved and spread holiday cheer to every vehicle and pedestrian they passed. But that wasn't the only reason for this ride along.
Santa on Patrol, a program started by Officer Brennan last year, allows the OBPD to help Claus check in on who's been naughty or nice this year — just in time for him to adjust the official list before Christmas.
"So far, the kids of Ormond Beach have been very nice," Brennan said. "We're lucky."
Officer Brennan and Officer John Dovine, who were named temporary elf helpers, took Claus out on the first of many drives Dec. 10, and visited places like Chick-fil-A, Walmart and Publix to catch kids off guard and analyze their behavior. Officer Dovine radioed in to North Pole Headquarters to see if the child was on the naughty or nice list. If they were nice, they received an early Christmas present and a "nice ticket" to hang on their Christmas tree as a reminder to Claus not to give them coal. The officers didn't hand out any naughty tickets that day, but one can only assume what the consequences would have been.
So Ormond Beach kids, as you're out and about with your parents this week, keep in mind that Claus is always watching — and sometimes he's a lot closer than you think.
