BY JENNY GOLDSBERRY
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Christmas Magic & Community Kindness HOLIDAY TRADITIONS WITH THE SYRACUSE POLICE DEPARTMENT
This holiday season, we’re focusing on some of the pillars of our community: Syracuse police officers. Even though they’re on the job this 24th and 25th, they have some fun traditions every year. You might even want to try some of these festivities yourself. Every year, the department puts on a Christmas party. It isn’t your typical work party, either. They always have a meal together for their members and their children. Sometimes it’s catered, sometimes Chief of Police Garret Atkin, himself, is behind the grill. This year, they’ll be making breakfast and inviting everyone to come in their pajamas. Between 80 to 100 people turn up every year. Next, they all get together to make a craft. One year, they made tiny teddy bears holding candy canes. Another time, they put together train cars and let the train loose in the lobby of the police department. Garret once even went as far as collecting pictures of every child, converting them into Peanuts characters, and then everyone made popsicle stick frames for them. The craft always complements the theme of the party. Whatever the craft, every one of them goes on display on the department’s Christmas tree. The tree sits in the lobby for everyone to admire during the season. Then, when the tree is thrown out, all the crafts are returned to the families who made them. The highlight of the party is their annual snowball fight. Now, in Syracuse, we can’t always rely on a healthy snow supply, so our officers get creative. Instead of snow, they used crumpled-up pieces of paper. They split everyone up randomly into two teams. Then, they split up the squad room. Whichever team gets the most snowballs on the other side wins. However, there’s also a twist.
14 syracuseconnection.com | December 2021
