The Bartlesville Police Department (BPD) delivers Christmas food baskets to 25 families in need.

Captain Kevin Ickleberry says they gather names from school resource officers and police officers on the street from the Department of Human Services. He says they talk with a wide range of entities to ensure they are providing a Christmas dinner to those that need it most.

Capt. Ickleberry says the BPD wants to be a part of the community. He says they want to show their support for the community and let people know that they are more than police officers.

A majority of City employees donated to this program. Capt. Ickleberry says staff at Bartlesville City Hall, the BPD, and the general public contributed to this giving effort. He says the Bartlesville Fraternal Order of Police donated all the hams. 

Capt. Ickleberry says it is always special seeing the people react to receiving a Christmas food basket. He says giving is a special feeling for the BPD staff as well.

Pictured left is the BPD staff members that delivered food baskets to families in need for Christmas.

There is plenty of work that goes into organizing these baskets. Capt. Ickleberry says Administrative Assistants Beth Gray and Jennifer Purdue do an excellent job of getting the event put together. He says they make it easier for the officers that go out and do the leg work delivering the baskets from there.

The baskets were delivered to families in need on Wednesday morning. The baskets are designed to feed a family of four to six people.

This is a program that has been put on by the BPD in the last three to four years. Capt. Ickleberry says they love seeing this program grow and flourish.

On top of this, the Bartlesville Fraternal Order of Police put on Shop with a Cop on Saturday. The BPD is currently giving out Christmas gifts after the stop random vehicles in the community for their "Operation Christmas Citations" program through Thursday. The Dewey Police Department is also participating and handing out Christmas citations, which includes toys, gift cards, food and more.

Capt. Ickleberry and the Bartlesville Police Department wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

More pictures from the BPD's Christmas food basket delivery can be found below: