As temperatures continue to drop, officers at the Sedalia Police Department are collecting coats for those in need.
SPD is hosting its third annual Cops for Coats drive this winter season. Officer Ed Crampton started the coat drive a few years ago after seeing a need in the community.
“He saw a need for it after a few calls of people that had passed away after cold temperatures, so he saw a need for coats in Sedalia for people in need so he started this program up,” Officer Derrick DeSalme said Tuesday morning. “He’s currently fighting overseas so I asked if I could help him out and he was more than glad to let me help him.”
A large box has been placed in the SPD station lobby, which is open 24 hours, for citizens to drop off gently-used or new coats. SPD is hosting the coat drive all winter, so there is no specific deadline to drop off donations.
DeSalme said he is working to get a coat rack to help organize the coats and to find more space to house the donations after a very successful drive last year.
“(Crampton) had a great response,” DeSalme said of the 2015 coat drive. “We had bags stacked up in that room, and I don’t think we were able to give away all the coats, we actually ended up donating a bunch to a place. But we had lots of families come down here and help themselves to coats and I think it was really well-received.”
DeSalme said that while they especially need children’s coats, coats of all types and sizes are accepted. Margaret Ward State Farm presented a $250 donation to SPD Tuesday morning, which DeSalme said will be used to purchase kid’s coats.
“For people looking for coats for themselves or for children, they’re more than welcome to come down here and speak with an officer and they can help them out, find the right coat for them,” DeSalme said. “We’ve already been approached today (Tuesday) by a young lady looking for coats for her kids, so we’re going to help her later on today.”
Hosting events such as coat drives is one of many ways SPD helps the Sedalia community.
“It’s what we like to do is help out the community as much as possible and obviously there’s always a need for people down on their luck or not able to get coats for themselves or their family members so anything we can do to help,” DeSalme said. “We’ve got 40-plus officers that are willing.”
For more information, call SPD at 660-826-8100 or stop by the station at 201 W. Second St.
