County Law Agencies Helped Bring Cheer to Local Children

Group photo of San Diego County Probation officers and their student partners at SeaWorld for Shop With a Cop 2021.

Over the weekend, officers from the San Diego County Probation Department and deputies from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department volunteered their time to spend a fun-filled day with school age children that culminated with a $200 shopping spree.

The Shop With a Cop event came roaring back Saturday, Dec. 4 after taking the 2020 year off due to the pandemic. More than 300 children and officers from law enforcement agencies throughout the San Diego region were paired up and headed to SeaWorld for breakfast and a private marine animal show. Afterward, they returned to the fleet of patrol vehicles and headed out in a convoy with lights and sirens to the Target store on Sports Arena Boulevard. Along the way, residents lined up on the streets in the Rosecrans area and waved at the law enforcement parade.

A San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy with her student partner get ready to shop.

San Diego County Probation had 32 officers and six professional staff taking part this year. The department adopted Montgomery, Central and Lafayette elementary schools.

Probation Officer Cecilia Orozco said she has participated for several years and was paired with a third-grade girl this year.

Probation Officers check out the toy aisles at Target.

“It’s been an honor for me to help the community, the lower economic populations, especially the younger kids,” Orozco said. “Shop With a Cop is a beautiful event and shows the kids we care.”

Orozco said the girl bought herself a lot of dolls and some popcorn and candy she planned to share with her family. For Orozco the most rewarding thing was when the girl told her that after spending the day with the officers, it genuinely sparked her interest in a career in law enforcement.

Probation Officer Callie Davis (left) and Probation Officer Cecilia Orozco with their student partners for Shop With a Cop 2021.

Probation Officer Callie Davis said this was only her second time pairing up with a child. She partnered with a 10-year-old boy for the day.

“He was excited. He loved SeaWorld and the dolphins and Target,” Davis said. “He was a good kid.”

The boy used his gift card to buy various LEGO sets for himself and a few board games, she said.

Often the children would go over the spending limit, and she witnessed many officers making up the difference for the child they were assigned.

A Sheriff's deputy helps his partner find some Christmas presents for himself.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department not only sent deputies but also dispatched their Sheriff Ambassador volunteer “Surf Dog Teddy” to greet children.

All the children also received four tickets to visit SeaWorld later as a family. All children were selected by counselors, teachers and officer referrals. Law enforcement from over 20 different local, state and federal agencies participated in the 28th annual event which was hosted this year by STAR/PAL and the Coronado and Harbor police departments.

San Diego County Sheriff's deputies and their students pose with the Sheriff's animal ambassador Surf Dog Teddy.

Helping During the Holidays

Is your office hosting a holiday food or toy drive? Crafting cards or volunteering in the community? Let us know what your office is doing to support charitable organizations and efforts this month.

Email communications@sdcounty.ca.gov with your department’s holiday activities and any photos. We will feature them here on InSite.

---

The Lakeside Library partnered with the Kiwanis Club of Lakeside on an annual sock drive.

Employees and customers can drop off new socks and shoes at the branch.

---

The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District is holding a virtual food drive through the San Diego Food Bank. The district has already raised $1,200 for food in just two weeks.

---

---

Celebrating Hanukkah

The County Administration Center was lit in blue and white to celebrate Hanukkah.

From Bridging to Uplifting

The new D&I Digest is out! This illuminating newsletter has curated videos, podcasts, webinars, articles and other resources that will help bridge connections and uplift us.

New this quarter is “StoryPods,” a podcast of the stories of us. Hear three generations of voices of the County’s Public Works Department in this first episode.

Check it out now. (The D&I Digest displays best in Chrome or Microsoft Edge.)

LGBTQ&A ERG Holiday Mixer

Join the LGBTQ&A Employee Resource Group for a holiday mixer from 5 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 16 at Barrel & Board’s back patio. Barrel & Board is located at 1027 University Ave. in Hillcrest.

Free to members!  RSVP now.

Join the ERG today or at the event. Application here.

Recognizing National Adoption Month

The County Administration Center was lit in purple Monday night to mark the last day of National Adoption Month. If you’d like to learn more about adoption or becoming a foster family, visit http://sdcares4kids.com or call 1-877-423-6788.

Recognizing Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

The County Administration Center was lit in orange Thursday night in observation of the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Creating a County That Fosters Inclusiveness and Belonging

Greetings from the Office of Equity and Racial Justice (OERJ) Team, 
 
Thank you to all who were able to join the Diversity & Inclusion Executive Council on Nov. 15 for a town hall on condemning hate-filled speech and creating a place of belonging. Your thoughtful comments are especially appreciated.  

It is our goal to use this space each month to share insights about the work we are doing and how it threads into creating a county that fosters inclusiveness and belonging. Before we can do that however, we feel it is necessary to acknowledge the reverberating array of emotions being evoked by two highly visible cases garnering national attention in recent weeks, one of which has since reached its conclusion. First, the jury in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse reached a verdict of not guilty on all counts. Rittenhouse was accused of killing two unarmed men and wounding another man during a protest against police shootings in Wisconsin in August 2020. 

The second case involves the ongoing trial of three men charged with the murder of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia in February 2020 while he was jogging through their neighborhood. 

The emotions evoked by these cases are compounded by the recent racist incident and continuous escalation of threatening language at Board of Supervisors meetings in the past year. These types of situations have the capacity to cause stress, anxiety and/or mental and emotional pain for many in our community, especially for those who experience bias and racism as part of their human experience in their daily lives. They are painful reminders of our nation’s complex history of systemic and structural racism.  

We and County leadership acknowledge that we operate within a flawed system. We are actively working to dismantle structural and systemic racism within our organization. While we may not have the capacity to change the past, we can make a commitment to take an active role in condemning racism and hate while creating belonging in our organization and in our community. 

One simple thing we can all do is to approach one another with empathy and compassion in what we do and say, every day. We also urge each of you to be mindful in taking care of yourselves, however that may look for you. Additionally: 

• Take advantage of the various meditation and wellness classes available at no cost to County employees.

• Check in with your colleagues, friends, and loved ones.

• Take advantage of the Employee Assistance Program who have experts in assisting individuals through difficult racial experiences 888-777-6665 or online.

• Join an Employee Resource Group or participate in the ERG Book Discussion on “The Sum of Us” on Dec. 9.

• Learn more about the implications of vigilante justice and the importance of bridging.  

Take care,

Team OERJ

Holiday Shopping for a Cause

Get into the holiday spirit and share a smile. Shop on AmazonSmile and a portion of the sale can be donated to the County Employees’ Charitable Organization (CECO).

AmazonSmile functions the same as Amazon, but the online retailer donates 0.5 percent of the product price of eligible purchases to a charity of your choice.

Using AmazonSmile is easy and automatic once you set it up.

1.       Go to smile.amazon.com (different from the regular Amazon link).

2.       Sign into your Amazon account.

3.       If it is your first visit, select a charitable organization. Type “San Diego County Employees' Charitable Organization” or “CECO” as your charity. You can also visit this link and CECO will already be chosen for you as your charity.

4.       Shop as you normally would. (You will see eligible products marked as “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on the product detail pages.)

5.       Save AmazonSmile to your web browser favorites. Shop from this link during the holidays and beyond.

There are several other ways to support CECO throughout the year. Make a biweekly donation via payroll deductions for as little as $2 per pay period. See CECO pledge instructions. Or you could make a one-time donation by contacting your CECO Department Representative.

Donating to CECO has a huge impact on the communities that we work and live in. As the charitable arm of the County that is employee-managed and volunteer-based, CECO has distributed more than $7 million to local nonprofit programs and County employees experiencing a financial crisis since forming in 1956.

Just this year, $128,271 in grants were awarded to 86 nonprofit programs included Alzheimer’s San Diego, Blind Community Center of San Diego, Coastal Roots Farm, Crisis House, Developmental Services Continuum, MANA de San Diego, NAMI San Diego, Solutions for Change and Union of Pan Asian Communities.

See your donations at work.

PerkSpot: Get a Jump Start on Holiday Shopping

The holidays are right around the corner. Shop for loved ones on PerkSpot and save big! You can find discounts on gifts for the whole family. Get deals on everything from apparel to zoo tickets.

PerkSpot offers benefits and discounts through more than 400 service providers and retailers. Go to SDCounty.PerkSpot.com and shop. If you are new, click on “Create an Account” to register.

Each month, one of the most popular PerkSpot deals will be highlighted on InSite.