"Tickets for Tots"

About eight years ago, the Azle Police Department participated in a wonderful program called "Tickets for Tots" to help underprivileged children in the community (and the cops too) have a great and wonderful Christmas. The program was very simple: Cops would be working traffic detail, you come by speeding, cop stops you and you get a citation or a warning. If you got a warning, the cop would also hand out a "Tickets for Tots" form asking for a toy donation. The toy was not in lieu of a citation because the officers had already made up his / her mind to issue a warning. The toy was voluntary and was totally up to the "violator" to participant or not to participant. Our first year, we were overwhelmed with the program's success. Hundreds of toys came in and we were able to help many, many families that first year. The second year was even better and the cops really got into it also...they saw the need in the community and they saw this program as a positive for so many deserving children within our little town. Then, Christmas of 2002 the program got cut...we were told it was silly and that it was illegal. We were told that the Azle Police Department would have no dealings whatsoever with such a program. Well, I'm not stupid, we had had an attorney review and our judge, who just happens to be a "big civil liberties" guy had signed off on it and gave thier blessings. However, someone else did not give it the blessing that it so deserved. Many kids have gone without over the years because this program got cut, but what not is mentioned is the hearts of the officers and dispatchers got cut too. I remember one year we had a present wrapping party. Everybody got together in the council chambers and wrapped the presents...we were there forever...all night long sometimes. The feeling of comradery, the feeling of community, civil service , and civic pride came alive in that room and so many times I lhave longed for that feeling again. But it never came, after July 15, 2002, it never came again for the Azle Police Department. Chief Steven Kay Myers squashed this and so many other programs because of his personal beliefs, thoughts, feelings, whatever. Nonetheless, this program went by the wayside, or wait...did it?????. That's right...that is "our" little program started in Azle about 8 years ago. This story by Bud Kennedy is both pleasing and heart wrenching to read. So much goodness came from the program, so much effort, desire and heart from our community and our officers...all gone...under the lack of leadership of one man....sad...sad...sad... I say good luck to Samsom Park and Chief White...I do think its a little funny that Samsom Park Police Department has a more forward thinking Chief of Police than the City of Azle, a city about three times larger, has had in a very long time.