Only one brave 8-year-old boy volunteered for karaoke. He stood on stage and perfectly recited “Jingle Bell Rock” to a backing track without hesitation.
When he finished, LAPD Senior Lead Officer Michael Scott, the MC of the event, got the crowd roaring in applause. Soon after, kids were lined up to sing their hearts out for their proud parents in the audience.
“They saw that we’re not going to judge them. We’re not going to shame them. We’re just going to be there to support them,” said Scott.
That’s what Scott does. He brings the fun, he keeps the energy high, but more importantly, he creates a safe space for people to come together.
He was at the helm of the Los Angeles Police Department and LA Rec & Parks “Pacoima Holiday In The Park” held Dec. 17 – a toy giveaway and community festival at the David Gonzales Recreation Park in Pacoima.
Scott and the LAPD Baseball Team have coordinated a holiday toy giveaway event for the last 20 years. For the second year, Scott brought together the San Fernando Gardens LAPD Community Safety Partnership (CSP) officers and LA Rec & Parks, to bring the event to Scott’s hometown of Pacoima.
“It was an honor to come back and host our toy giveaway event [in Pacoima],” said Scott. “Coming back home was special to me. Knowing that I’m giving back to the community which raised me – raised me well.”
A Life of Service
Scott first joined the force in 1998 – for 22 of those 25 years of service, he has been coordinating events and engaging with the community. He has worked across Los Angeles – at the Devonshire Division, Mission Division and downtown – as a patrol officer, in the narcotics division, in youth services and as special detail out of the Chief’s office.
Now, Scott works in the Foothill Division as a part of the San Fernando Gardens CSP Bureau located in Pacoima. Scott is passionate about the strength of community policing.
He is one of 10 officers and one sergeant who work the CSP zone, which includes the San Fernando Gardens, Pacoima Charter Elementary School, Guardian Angel School and David Gonzales Park.
He didn’t always dream of becoming a police officer, but once he did, he knew he found his calling.
“It’s more than the job. It’s my life,” said Scott.
It’s not always easy. As an officer, Scott developed a thick skin to be strong for people when dealing with difficult situations, because “you see people at their best and you see them at their worst, sometimes the worst moment in their life.”
Although he said kids often treat them like superheroes, police are not always welcome or trusted. Scott says he feels that tension all the time. And as a Black man from Pacoima with parents who were born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, in the ‘50s and ‘60s, he understands where people are coming from.
His thick skin helps him not take it personally when someone is treating him like the enemy.
“I never let it get beyond my skin because I know it’s not directed towards me. It’s towards the police as a whole without knowing who I am,” said Scott. “I put myself in their shoes and [think about] how I would feel or how I would want to be treated by a police officer.”
Scott tries to change their mindset by engaging people and having a conversation – and working in the neighborhood he grew up in helps lower those barriers.
“They see that I relate to them because I am from the neighborhood,” said Scott. “I wasn’t always a police officer. I was, you know, a kid that played baseball. I loved to hang out just like them. I made mistakes just like they do.”
The many community events that Scott coordinates between LAPD and the communities they serve help create a safe environment, where communication can freely take place. His goal is to take everyone outside of those high-tension situations to be able to see one another’s humanity.
“I want them to be able to talk to us and laugh with us and know that we’re still human,” said Scott. “And 100% it changes the mindset because we’re in the friendly zone here and now it’s an open conversation.”
Worth the Wait
In the same way that Scott tries to put himself in other people’s shoes when he’s on duty, he tries to put himself in the mindset of the children and families when planning the toy giveaway. He pays attention to the details, thinking about the experience, not just the toys.
“I never count toys. I count smiles,” replied Scott when asked how many toys were handed out at the event.
This year, the smiles never stopped, and neither did the line. After more than four hours and roughly 3,500-4,000 toys, families were still lined up for the giveaway.
“The line never ended,” said Scott. “We had to end it ourselves because we ran out of time.”
Monica Corona and her cousin Alina Ortiz spent the day at the park with their kids. They were raised in Pacoima and continue to live in the community.
“It’s a good event for the community because a lot of kids go without [gifts] for the holidays,” said Corona.
“The quality of the gifts that the kids received was really high,” added Ortiz, noting that sometimes toys at these events aren’t as nice, making the wait not worth the effort. This time, she thought the wait was worth the reward.
“Even though you wait a long time, the kids walk out super happy because the gifts are nice,” said Ortiz.
Nearing the front of the line that wrapped around the outside fence of the park was Valeria Villatoro with her teenage son.
“It was about a three-hour wait,” said Villatoro.
At this point, the young kids surrounding her were anxious to pick out their gift – one girl cried as her mother reassured her the wait was almost over. Villatoro and her son remained calm and composed.
“The one [toy giveaway] we went to yesterday gave him a kid’s toy,” said Villatoro, hoping that this time he would get something age-appropriate.
Unlike many toy giveaways that heavily focus on young kids, this one had clearly labeled sections for different age groups – from infants to teens. At one end were ball pits and blocks, in the middle life-size Disney princesses and Mario figurines, and at the far end soccer balls and skateboards.
Overgrown elf-like volunteers with Christmas light necklaces were personal shoppers for the kids, walking them one by one past the piled-high tables lining the inside of the gymnasium.
Upon making their selection, families walked out of the gym into a community party in the park – with entertainment, craft activities, free food and of course photos with Santa.
The first thing they saw was Scott on stage setting the tone for the outdoor festivities.
“Let’s do a dance contest,” Scott spontaneously exclaimed, keeping the crowd energized while the cheerleaders got ready to perform.
Not only did everyone who participated get a Dodgers swag bag, but the winner – Delilah, a 4 year old half the size of the other finalist – got a brand-new bike. She jumped giddily, with a smile from ear to ear as she was handed one of the many bikes being raffled off during the event.
If Scott measures success by the smiles of the children, Delilah is a good indication that he’s doing his job right.
What Goes Around Comes Around
Many of the partnerships for the event were also with people from the surrounding community. Scott said they contacted him when they got word of the event and asked to participate.
He excitedly brought them on board.
“We’re all on the same page when it comes to serving our community,” said Scott.
The abundance of toys inside was reflected in the massive food distribution outside. The towering boxes – filled with tortillas, rice, beans, broccoli, oranges, tomatoes, potatoes and more – morphed from skyscrapers to single stories by the end of the day.
“We brought a little over 15,000 pounds [of food],” said Gamaliel Guevara, who coordinated the food drive with his wife Karina Guevara.
The couple – originally from Pacoima – work with Jeremiah 1:10 Ministry and Ministerio Tiempo Nuevo.
“Our organization is in Simi Valley. But our heart is here in Pacoima,” said Gamaliel.
As an ex-drug user who now has a successful life and career, Gamaliel said giving back to the community feels like a gift for himself. And the more he gives, the more good he seems to receive in life.
“God, somehow he just gives you more,” said Gamaliel. “It’s just funny how he operates. You know, he sees your heart and he just keeps giving.”
On the far end of the park, Jerome Burwell Jr., aka Jerome tha Barber, reiterated the same spirit of giving. At his mobile barber shop, One Fresh Stop, Jerome gave free fresh fades for the holidays.
“I’m blessed to be here,” said Burwell. “It just feels good to give back to the community I grew up in.”
Being from Pacoima, he noted how great it was to have an event that gives families from the neighborhood a little extra help during the holidays.
“I know what that’s like. I’ve been there,” added Burwell.
It hasn’t always been easy for him. The loss of his mother at 16 had a huge impact on him and his family. He was even homeless for a time when he first started cutting hair.
The birth of his son prompted him to start his own barber business – a dream he had throughout the 10 years plus that he’d been a barber. Two years later, with the growth and success of his business, he can finally share those blessings with others.
“I never looked back, but I never forgot where I came from. So that’s why I wanted to give back to the community I grew up in because I’m grateful for what I have and making it here today,” said Burwell.
The event may have been for the kids of Pacoima and their families, but those who are volunteering their time and resources might actually be the ones getting the biggest gift of all.
“There’s nothing like giving,” said Scott. “It’s the greatest feeling to know that you can come back into the community where you were raised and give.”