Santa Claus will have some help this year from a few Conover police officers who will take to the streets with sacks full of toys and clothes on Christmas Eve as “Santa Cops.”

“I hope their eyes light up and have huge smiles on their faces,” said Officer Mike Harrison, who came up with the idea.

It’s a new project for the Conover Police Department, aimed at carrying holiday cheer into the hearts of children who may not have a Christmas otherwise.

The police department is placing donation bins at four locations throughout Conover, where people can donate unwrapped new toys and clothes for children ages newborn to 14 through Dec. 21.

Harrison is working with the Catawba County Department of Social Services and the Adult Probation Patrol to identify children in the community whose families may not be able to afford Christmas presents.

Then on Christmas Eve, uniformed officers will personally deliver the gifts to each of the children. For many of the kids, it will likely be the only present they receive this year, Harrison said.

While DSS has a Christmas program, he said families often apply after the cutoff deadline. Harrison hopes Santa Cops can help those children who would be left out.

There is also another mission at the heart of the project.

Years ago, Harrison said he worked with the Adult Probation Patrol. Through that experience, he learned officers can seem intimidating and mean to some children whose parents may not have had positive encounters with police officers.

“I think a lot of times, kids hear negative things about police officers,” Harrison said.

He hopes this project will help change all that. He said if the children see that officers care about them and bring them presents, maybe the experience will help reflect a positive attitude toward police officers.

Initially, the department will focus on children in the Conover area. Plans are to expand outward into the rest of the community as much as possible, depending on the number of gifts donated.

“We want to reach as many people as we can in the city of Conover,” Harrison said.

All the Conover police officers are encouraged to implement some form of community project each year. Harrison hopes his project becomes a huge success that can be carried on for years to come.

“I think I’ll get the biggest gift, because I know the police officers who deliver the gifts are in for a wonderful experience,” he said.

People are urged to donate toys their own children or grandchildren would enjoy. Any donated clothes should be tied up in a shopping bag.