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Ottawa police play Santa after family's gifts are stolen
Thieves nearly dashed Christmas morning for one Ottawa family when they stole the gifts right from under their tree, but Ottawa Police are banding...more
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BY ZEV SINGER AND MICHAEL AUBRY, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN DECEMBER 24, 2011
OTTAWA — The fact that thieves would steal everything from under the family’s tree was shocking. But for Deborah Denison, the really astonishing part of her day came later, when the Ottawa Police took action in a way the family never could have expected.
Denison, who lives on a farm near Metcalf with her husband Barry, went to bed at midnight Friday night, having stayed up to wrap gifts for her family, including her four children and eight grandchildren. Even her son-in-law, Capt. Mark Norris, would be there, having surprised the family with his return from Afghanistan. Everything was ready under the tree for the big day.
When she went downstairs at 7 o’clock Saturday morning, she sensed something.
“You know how instinct just tells you something’s not right?”
Then she saw that the television was gone, and she knew. The computer was gone, too. She went to the tree and all the wrapped gifts were cleaned out. The thieves also found the keys to the family truck, into which they likely loaded all the presents and other valuables before driving it away.
Denison said it was the theft of the presents for her youngest grandchildren, which she’d picked out specially for each, that really upset her. There was the Barbie dress-up set for three-year-old Maddie, the goalie mask for eight-year-old Dawson and that very particular, hard-to-find Lego present for five-year-old Max that she tracked down after trying a number of stores.
The police came right away and were sympathetic. She had no idea how sympathetic, until later on.
At 4 p.m. Saturday, the police returned with about 20 wrapped gifts and around $600.
Denison was overwhelmed by their kindness. The police constables had gone to their fellow officers, who took up the cause with energy. The police communications centre and the patrol divisions all came through, taking up a collection, shopping and all signing a card.
“It was just unbelievable what they did. Everything was wrapped and they had asked me for all the grandchildren’s names. We were crying because it was just unbelievable that they could do all that in an afternoon.”
She especially wanted to mention Const. Adam Tataryn, Cost. Sean Carrol and Sgt. Frederick St. Pierre.
“These police officers did such a good job buying gifts for them,” she said.
The officers thought of even more ways to help.
“They spoke to the manager of Future Shop and he said ‘Tell them to come and see me when they’re ready and I’ll give them a TV at cost,’” Denison said.
Beyond all this, friends and family have also been phoning non-stop to offer help and bring gifts.
It was a Christmas that could have been ruined, but wasn’t.
“Absolutely not,” Denison said. “Because it just re-enforces your belief that people are kind deep down and they just have to see something happen to somebody and they will reach out to help.”
What about the thieves, though?
Denison said she’s been thinking about that a little, trying her best to imagine their mind-frame.
“Our daughter said ‘Maybe they were worse off.’”
In terms of joy this Christmas, one way or another, it’s hard to imagine that’s not true.
What would Denison say to the thieves?
“If they need help that badly, sometimes all you have to do is ask,” she said. “There would have been a way for us to help you.”
with files from Chloé Fedio
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
Thieves nearly dashed Christmas morning for one Ottawa family when they stole the gifts right from under their tree, but Ottawa Police are banding...more
A+
BY ZEV SINGER AND MICHAEL AUBRY, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN DECEMBER 24, 2011
OTTAWA — The fact that thieves would steal everything from under the family’s tree was shocking. But for Deborah Denison, the really astonishing part of her day came later, when the Ottawa Police took action in a way the family never could have expected.
Denison, who lives on a farm near Metcalf with her husband Barry, went to bed at midnight Friday night, having stayed up to wrap gifts for her family, including her four children and eight grandchildren. Even her son-in-law, Capt. Mark Norris, would be there, having surprised the family with his return from Afghanistan. Everything was ready under the tree for the big day.
When she went downstairs at 7 o’clock Saturday morning, she sensed something.
“You know how instinct just tells you something’s not right?”
Then she saw that the television was gone, and she knew. The computer was gone, too. She went to the tree and all the wrapped gifts were cleaned out. The thieves also found the keys to the family truck, into which they likely loaded all the presents and other valuables before driving it away.
Denison said it was the theft of the presents for her youngest grandchildren, which she’d picked out specially for each, that really upset her. There was the Barbie dress-up set for three-year-old Maddie, the goalie mask for eight-year-old Dawson and that very particular, hard-to-find Lego present for five-year-old Max that she tracked down after trying a number of stores.
The police came right away and were sympathetic. She had no idea how sympathetic, until later on.
At 4 p.m. Saturday, the police returned with about 20 wrapped gifts and around $600.
Denison was overwhelmed by their kindness. The police constables had gone to their fellow officers, who took up the cause with energy. The police communications centre and the patrol divisions all came through, taking up a collection, shopping and all signing a card.
“It was just unbelievable what they did. Everything was wrapped and they had asked me for all the grandchildren’s names. We were crying because it was just unbelievable that they could do all that in an afternoon.”
She especially wanted to mention Const. Adam Tataryn, Cost. Sean Carrol and Sgt. Frederick St. Pierre.
“These police officers did such a good job buying gifts for them,” she said.
The officers thought of even more ways to help.
“They spoke to the manager of Future Shop and he said ‘Tell them to come and see me when they’re ready and I’ll give them a TV at cost,’” Denison said.
Beyond all this, friends and family have also been phoning non-stop to offer help and bring gifts.
It was a Christmas that could have been ruined, but wasn’t.
“Absolutely not,” Denison said. “Because it just re-enforces your belief that people are kind deep down and they just have to see something happen to somebody and they will reach out to help.”
What about the thieves, though?
Denison said she’s been thinking about that a little, trying her best to imagine their mind-frame.
“Our daughter said ‘Maybe they were worse off.’”
In terms of joy this Christmas, one way or another, it’s hard to imagine that’s not true.
What would Denison say to the thieves?
“If they need help that badly, sometimes all you have to do is ask,” she said. “There would have been a way for us to help you.”
with files from Chloé Fedio
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
