Cape CopCast
Welcome to "The Cape CopCast," the official podcast of the Cape Coral Police Department.
Hosted by Officer Mercedes Simonds, and Lisa Greenberg from our Public Affairs team, this podcast dives into the heart of Cape Coral PD's public safety, community initiatives, and the inner workings of our police department. Each episode brings you insightful discussions, interviews with key community figures, and expert advice on safety.
Cape CopCast
Building Community Spirit: Holiday Events & Initiatives with Captain Campion and Lt. O'Grady
Captain Matt Campion and Lieutenant Patrick O'Grady join us for this episode of the Cape CopCast to talk about their roles in the Community Services Bureau and our holiday events and initiatives!
These seasoned officers dig into their extensive experience, from traffic and patrol to street crimes and public affairs, before ending up in the Community Services Bureau. They talk about the Bureau's mission to make the community feel safe, valued, and connected beyond the badge. These two are dedicated to building trust and fostering genuine relationships with the people of Cape Coral.
We explore the heartwarming holiday initiatives that bring joy to our community. From toy donation drives to running the cherished "Shop with a Cop" program, the department is ready to spread some cheer. Captain Campion and Lieutenant O'Grady reveal what goes into making these events a success — ensuring that every child feels special. Listen to learn more about how these efforts transform lives and unite the community in the true spirit of giving.
>>TO DONATE: email anyack@capecoral.gov
Welcome back to the Cape Copcast, the official podcast of the Cape Coral Police Department. My name is Lisa Greenberg. I'm one of the hosts and a public affairs officer here at the Cape Coral Police Department.
Speaker 1:And I'm Officer Mercedes Simons. Together we make up the Public Affairs Office. Today we have two very special guests. We have Captain Matt Campion and Lieutenant Pat O'Grady. Both of them are very happy to join us. I think we're here, to talk about a lot of different holiday events and things like that. We have going on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the hats are part of their usual uniform.
Speaker 1:In my opinion it's a little early for Christmas. We're kind of skipping Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2:I would like to have a conversation about that debate, but first, hi guys.
Speaker 1:Hi. Thanks for coming, thanks Hi.
Speaker 4:Thanks for coming.
Speaker 2:Thanks for having us so are you guys of the camp that Christmas starts after Halloween or after Thanksgiving?
Speaker 4:Well, for me, it's got to start after Thanksgiving. I'm not a big fan of celebrating Christmas before Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, so I like to wait until after that.
Speaker 2:It's my favorite too.
Speaker 4:Absolutely. A lot of good memories growing up with Thanksgiving, so I like to wait until we get through that holiday and then we can delights and toys and all the madness that follows with that. I'm all about it.
Speaker 2:What about you, Lieutenant O'Grady?
Speaker 3:I agree, you should wait until after Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But in our bureau it's always Christmas, it's always.
Speaker 2:Christmas. We're going to be talking about holiday events, so I appreciate you bringing the Christmas spirit a little early, absolutely. So now that we've settled the Christmas debate, I would love for each of you to tell us a little bit about yourselves and how you became part of the Cape Coral Police Department. Captain Campion, we'll start with you. Oh wow.
Speaker 4:A little bit about myself. My name is Matthew Campion. I am a captain with the Cape Coral Police Department Community Services Bureau Division. I've been with the department 18 years now, nice. I started in 2006 and obviously worked my way up. I was on patrol for a few years and then I went into the street crimes unit. From there I moved up to the Professional Standards Bureau and I was a background investigator as well as a polygraphist. So I did the polygraphs for all the pre-employments, got promoted to a sergeant, worked patrol for a couple years, was also an administrative sergeant under the Patrol Bureau. Captain I want to say it was 2018, I think 2017 or 18. I went to the newly formed intel unit under the investigative services bureau at that time and then from there I went back to patrol as administrative sergeant. Then I got promoted to lieutenant, was a watch commander, administrative lieutenant on patrol and then eventually took and was promoted to a captain and that was about a year ago was assigned right over to the community services bureaus and newly promoted captain.
Speaker 2:That's awesome.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so it's exciting. Quite a journey it is. It has been a journey, not like this guy, but it's been a journey.
Speaker 2:Yeah, tell us about you, lieutenant O'Grady.
Speaker 3:So I've been with the Cape Coral Police Department for almost 30 years. I started with patrol and then I went into traffic. I did that for about 15 years and then I decided I wanted to get promoted. So I studied, took the test, got promoted and was brought back to patrol. After being a patrol sergeant for a little bit I went back to traffic as the supervisor of the nighttime traffic unit. Probably seven years later I went back to patrol as a supervisor on day shift and then went up to the PIO office, did that for a couple years, went back to patrol as a sergeant. I got promoted to lieutenant, stayed on patrol and then two years later I was moved up to Community Services Bureau as the lieutenant. And here I am.
Speaker 2:I have to ask do you wish you had a podcast when you were in public affairs?
Speaker 3:I think it would have been awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so for people who don't know what the Community Services Bureau is, how do you explain that?
Speaker 4:Community Services Bureau. What's unique about it? It's about building partnerships and trust with community stakeholders and members. It's letting them know that there's a lot more than just enforcement out on patrol, out on the streets. We also do a lot of projects, a lot of fundraising, a lot of food drives and toy drives, a lot of civic engagement. We've been tasked and it's been growing Just getting involved with the community, running special events, showing our faces outside at public events, interacting with the community, letting them know that there's a lot more to us than just the badge.
Speaker 3:We're also known as a smile and wave group.
Speaker 2:The smile and wave group.
Speaker 3:We're the friendly group that goes out. We do the coffee with the cop, the pizza with the police cones with the cops. Yeah, we let people know that we're human behind the badge.
Speaker 2:You really ingrain yourselves into the community and let people know you're there. You have to be a part of the community.
Speaker 3:Yeah, for us to gain trust, that's everything we need with the community.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that makes sense.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it's about developing those partnerships with community members. So it's people we serve there. It than just, like I said, going out and enforcement. It's building those relationships with them. And without the community, what are we as an agency.
Speaker 1:You have to really ask yourself that. So it's important to build that with the community For sure. And they're really supportive too, at least from because I've come from somewhere else and so coming down here and seeing how great and supportive and respectful they are, I know anytime we have food drives, toy drives, that we're doing anything like that, they always come through, show up and really they're able to help a lot of families and kids in our community that need everything.
Speaker 4:I've never felt in 18 years working for this police department in this community that we've never had support, and I feel now, more as a bureau captain in community services, that we have 110% support with everybody that we deal with. I really do feel like we have a lot of support in this community. That's awesome.
Speaker 2:And I know too. You know a lot of people think of you guys going out there. You're ingraining yourselves within the community, you're shaking hands, you're meeting people. That all does go hand in hand with being able to solve crimes that happen within our community too.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, it builds a lot of legitimacy. They feel more comfortable talking to you about those things. It might be off the record. It might be on the record, but once they get to know who you are as an individual, they realize that we have a lot in common and everybody wants to live and work and grow in a safe community. So a lot of them, once they see us at these special events and we interact with them, they feel more comfortable to share with us.
Speaker 2:And you guys this is a priority for you all year long. But I know during Christmas time it really really ramps up for you guys. I started working here in Christmas time of last year and I just remember being like, oh, this job is a cakewalk. I'm at different Christmas events every day. I'm at stuff the cruiser filled the boat like watching all these kids getting toys and it's awesome. This is your busy season.
Speaker 4:This is we. We're busy throughout the year but, as Lieutenant said, when we get into the fall season, especially October, november, december, it gets extremely busy, it ramps up, it's full speed ahead, especially with community services and there's a lot of other members in the agency that get involved because we need that support and help. But for our bureau it's extremely busy. Yeah, a lot of events going on.
Speaker 1:So what events do we have coming up?
Speaker 3:I'll start with November. We kick off our 13th annual Holiday for Heroes food drive, which benefits the Harry Chapin Food Bank. We've partnered with the Walmart Neighborhood Markets. We have one on Skyline and two on Pine Island. Officers are going to be stationed there. We're going to be asking for donations of food and or money. If people want to donate money, we could take that as well, and it all benefits the Harry Chapin food bank.
Speaker 2:So you have to go to the Walmart to drop everything off people around the holidays, the need for food is, I feel like it's even more, because you know people are celebrating, they're having these meals and we want to make sure everyone's fed. So if people could help with that, that'd be awesome.
Speaker 3:That would be awesome, especially with a tough economy.
Speaker 4:We had a good turnout last year at all three of those locations, so we're back again this year and we've always had a lot of support, especially at the Walmarts. That day that food is collected by members of the community services bureau and then directly transported over to the Harry Chapin Food Bank because they're in need of it right away. So it gets put to use right away. So it's collected that day and then driven right over and given to them.
Speaker 2:That's awesome Great.
Speaker 4:We got the Holiday Nights on the Lawn, which is new for us. It's called Holiday Nights on the Lawn at City Hall. We've been asked to participate that in this year. It's going to be three nights. It's a Friday, saturday and Sunday November 29th, which is a Friday, saturday, december 30th, which is a Saturday, and then December 1st, which is a Sunday, and that's from 4 to 8 pm. It's right here at City Hall. And the way we're going to participate in this year is we're going to actually bring a boat over there and it's going to kind of be like fill the boat campaign. So we're asking anybody that attends those three nights over at City Hall there for the Festival of Lights that they bring some kind of donation for a toy.
Speaker 2:That'll be awesome. I know you guys collect a lot of toys throughout the month of December, so it'll be fun to kind of kick it off that way and get the city involved and everybody fill another boat.
Speaker 3:Pretty amazing event. One day they're going to have reindeer live reindeer.
Speaker 1:What Are you dressing up, or?
Speaker 3:Well, I could wear antlers, and they have a drone show, so that's going to draw a lot of people and we're hoping those people are generous and want to donate a toy to us.
Speaker 2:Definitely Can and we're hoping those people are generous and want to donate a toy to us. Definitely Can they donate money too, or just a toy they can, they can donate money yes, cool.
Speaker 4:Yep, and they also have an ice skating rink. I think as well too. And then the Christmas tree, so that's going to be awesome.
Speaker 1:How do you do an ice skating rink in?
Speaker 3:Florida? I don't know.
Speaker 4:There's a special kind of four. So very cool. Yeah, we have a couple other events.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we have the second annual stuff a cruiser toy drive as well. That's going to be December 7th and 8th. That's going to be at the target at 2430 Santa Barbara Boulevard, which is right near veterans.
Speaker 2:Cool, same concept we're going to stuff that cruiser with as much toys as we can get whatever we get in there.
Speaker 4:We also teamed up with the Cape Coral Museum of History. They're putting on a car show which is scheduled for Saturday, november 30th, and it's a toy drive car show and it's gonna be a cultural park theater. So a lot of people love car shows. Hopefully the weather's beautiful. But if you come to that car show as well, you can bring a toy and that's gonna go also to the toy drives for community members.
Speaker 2:That's so awesome and I know a lot of people wonder once we get the toys. I've seen your guys' office. It is like a toy shop in there after.
Speaker 4:What do you guys then do with all those toys? There's a lot of community donations. Well, one of our biggest events is Shop with a Cop, which is later on. It's actually scheduled for Saturday, december 14th, and we'll talk about that in a minute, but because of limited funds, we're only allowed to accept so many students. A lot of these kids are recommended to us from schools in the city of Cape Coral. The SROs get involved as well as school staff, so they fill out an application and, depending on the needs of that family, we can accept them as one of the students that would shop with a cop on December 14th. So we can only take about 40 to 45 students, but we get, I want to say, a couple hundred applications, don't we? We?
Speaker 3:do we get a lot of applications? A?
Speaker 4:lot of those toys that we collect. Since we can only take about 40, 45 kids that day for Shop with a Cop, we will keep all those applications and then what we'll do is we'll bag up toys depending on the size of the family, the age of the kids, and then we will deliver. The week before Christmas the Community Services Bureau, with the help of some patrol officers, will actually deliver those bags of toys to that family. They weren't chosen to participate in Shop with a Cop because we can't pick everybody, although we'd love to, but weren't chosen to participate in Shop with a Cop because we can't pick everybody, although we'd love to. But since we can't, we'll deliver a bag of toys to them. We try to accommodate as many applications as we can get, but everybody that submits an application for Shop with a Cop is going to get some kind of toy from the Kid Coral Police Department. Wow.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. You guys are like real life Santas. We do.
Speaker 4:We make contact with the family the week before Christmas. We let them know that we're going to stop by. If they're there, we'd love to see the kids and just say hi and let them know here you go, Healthy ears are under here. Yeah, they all get involved in it. So each kid's going to get a toy or a bag of toys to say I love that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's amazing.
Speaker 4:We have a couple other events that we'd love to mention.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely. We have the 9th Annual Children's Network of Southwest Florida. Fill the Boat, so that will be on December 4th. We do that in the morning at Oasis. We hang out there, we bring a boat and we also do it at Cape Coral Elementary School.
Speaker 1:Where do?
Speaker 3:all those toys end up going? They go to adopted kids and foster kids from the Children's Network of Southwest Florida.
Speaker 4:It's in partnership with the Children's Network of Southwest Florida. So all the toys get collected at the parent pickup, parent drop-off You'd say student drop-off lines in the morning at Oasis Wet Elementary, Oasis Middle and Cape Elementary, and then they get donated to the Children's Network of Southwest Florida.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. I remember going to that last year.
Speaker 4:I think, yeah, it's good.
Speaker 2:That was like one of my first days on the job.
Speaker 4:We hand out all the candy canes and the stickers and all the good stuff like that and the kids just love it Wait, you said December 4th.
Speaker 2:December 4th yes, that's my one-year anniversary at the police department.
Speaker 1:I'm pretty sure that's what I did on my birthday. Lisa, are we going to have a party?
Speaker 4:You should be there.
Speaker 2:Wednesday December 4th. I should be there Every year, which is awesome, we do Do we use like monetary donations for that, or is that all funded within?
Speaker 4:We do. We have some community partners, some stakeholders in the community that throughout the year will make donations specifically Some of these special events that we attend. We'll go and give a lecture to some of the clubs around the town the Rotary Clubs, the German American Club and a lot of times in kind they'll make a donation and a specifically for shop with the cop. So that's where the monetary donations come in, to help as well If we're fortunate enough when we have a surplus of toys and we don't need to spend the monetary funds on purchasing toys. But we will use it for purchasing toys if we have to.
Speaker 2:If anyone's listening to this podcast and they're like we want to donate money we didn't know that all this was happening and maybe they can't make it to some of these events or they want to donate directly to shop with a cop Is there a way that they can do that?
Speaker 4:There is, it's um through joy, niac, through the community services bureau, do the right thing program. They can make a monetary donation directly to her and then that's um. Once those funds are collected, then we can distribute accordingly.
Speaker 2:That's awesome, okay, cool. Tell us a little bit about Shop with a Cop. This is what our 22nd or 23rd annual 22nd annual, 22nd annual Shop with a Cop.
Speaker 4:So it starts off in the morning. I'm pretty sure, yeah, it does start off in the morning, around 9 am. So once the applications are accepted, we'll team that individual, that student, up with an SRO or an officer that wants to participate. So we kind of put a list of all the students that are available, the size of the families, how many kids or siblings are in the family and then the age of those kids, and then an officer can sign up on a sheet for a specific family and they kind of sponsor that family or that child. So they make contact with the family or the child a few days before the actual event it's scheduled for Saturday, december 14th and then they let them know that they're going to come over to their house and they'll pick them up in the morning they usually pick them up in the morning and then they'll go right over to Walmart. When they get to Walmart they'll have, they'll wait for all the kids to arrive and all the officers and all the sponsors and people that want to show up, the volunteers and stuff, and they take a big group picture and then they kind of release the hounds.
Speaker 4:After that they say listen, go, based on the monetary donations. Each kid's going to have a gift card from Walmart with a certain amount prepaid amount on it, so they'll know how much they can spend. The officer will know how much they can spend and then they'll start shopping for their family. So the child will bring a list of what they are looking for for their mom or their dad or their sisters or brothers or aunts or uncles, or hopefully themselves as well too. An officer will have an idea of how much they can spend. They go in and then do the shopping. When they're done from there, they come back to the police department and then, when they get back to the police department, here we have a bunch of community volunteers that meet us up in the third floor. It's all decorated for Christmas.
Speaker 4:They got Christmas music, christmas movies going, all the Christmas decorations, and you have a lot of those volunteers that we've met throughout the year that want to contribute. They'll come here and they'll help wrap all the gifts with the kids so we get the kids involved in wrapping.
Speaker 3:We have Santa and Santa, Mrs Claus.
Speaker 4:Santa shows up, mrs Claus shows up. They do do some raffles on some bigger toys. So some of the community members will donate bigger gifts, like we've had people donate Xboxes and PlayStations Historically. They've donated some bigger gifts like that and bikes and all that stuff. So those bigger gifts. A lot of times will hold a raffle for the kids and then also a lot of our community members will also provide meals for the families as well. So each kid that got all the gifts they get them all wrapped up and stuff like that They'll also get a family, a dinner for family for Christmas as well too. So it's it usually consists of like they get turkeys and your, your baked goods, your potatoes and cranberry sauce and all that stuff, yeah so, and and bread and stuffing and all that. So they also get a meal for their family as well too, and then the officer will bring them home to their family and drop them off with their toys and their, their dinner.
Speaker 1:That's awesome, yeah, and those kids are really sweet too. I know we had one last year and I just was going around and taking pictures, but we were in the checkout line ready to go and you know we're looking through the cart oh, what all did you get? And she got things for her entire family. She didn't get a single thing for her. She just had that just like selfless mentality. And so, like me and some other people are like no, you're going to get things for you. And we took her around the store and we're like this and this and this and this. So we just made sure that, like she was taken care of too, like what sweet kids.
Speaker 1:I don't know, it was one of those things that like just you know, brings a tear to your eye and makes you really appreciate what you're doing.
Speaker 4:the event for it's amazing, and a lot of the kids are like that. A lot of them want to buy for the people that are in their family, on their list, and they forget that you should try to buy something for yourself as well, too. So you'll have to remind them hey, you have a few extra dollars, buy something for yourself. Let's get yourself something as well too.
Speaker 1:That's so nice yeah.
Speaker 3:This has been my favorite program that I've done my whole time working here. Oh yeah, I'm sure I love Shop with a Cop.
Speaker 4:It's a good vibe, it's a good feeling and it's just nice to see all the kids happy and they're getting gifts and they're interacting with the officers. You got Mr and Mrs Santa Claus there. You have a photo booth so they get a photo too, which is nice to take home, with the kid, the child and the officer, so they get the picture to take home with them as well, too. Some of the kids that we've seen throughout the years when we've gone over their houses they've, actually we've had officers said hey, I saw the shop with a cop picture on the on the mantle or something when they went over to the house for a call for service or something, so it's nice to see that you know that's awesome when you think of, like, becoming a cop.
Speaker 2:did you guys think about all these types of interactions that you'd be having?
Speaker 3:You never think that's going to happen. No, no, no.
Speaker 2:It is. It is the best part.
Speaker 4:It's rewarding, it's got to be the. Yeah, it's very rewarding to say the least.
Speaker 1:Well, especially after, like you guys, how many years of service between the two of you do you guys have?
Speaker 4:18. You got how many? Almost 48. I'm not good with math.
Speaker 1:A lot. Okay, so you have almost like 48 years, yeah, but usually you're not seeing people in the best light. But then going to these different community events and seeing the good that we have going on in the community makes you appreciate it that much more.
Speaker 3:It does 100%. Nobody calls us on their best day to say, hey, I'm having an awesome day, thank you. They always call us when they need help. And to actually give back and see just a smile on a child's face after doing a program like Shop with a Cup, it's amazing.
Speaker 2:I love that. You guys are the best you really are. We are so excited to have you on the podcast Excellent.
Speaker 1:That's how we also know we have the right people in the right place too. We got a good team. We love our job.
Speaker 2:We got a good team. We love our job.
Speaker 4:We got a good team For sure. It's nice because everyone that we work with in community services knows at this time of year they all have to step up to the plate Because there's a lot of you know you have your scheduled events during the week and stuff, but then there's a lot of things that want to get involved in that kind of stuff this time of year For sure, especially when they have their own family things going on this time of year.
Speaker 2:So it's nice. Anything else you guys want to add?
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, if you don't mind, I'd love to say, because this year we're going full time with our Police Athletic League program, so it's our PAL program. So Officer Kobe Palmer, who's the PAL officer, is running his first annual toy drive. It's in partnership with Fathom's Restaurant and Bar down at Cape Harbor and it's going to include live music and it's scheduled for Sunday, december 15th at 6 pm. So Sunday, december 15th at 6 pm, and then, if you want more information, I can get that to you as well too. But if they show up and everybody donates a toy and stuff like that, it's going to go to the PAL program Awesome.
Speaker 4:And they have their own set of kids as well too, that the PAL program sponsors throughout the year for special events, special sporting events, and so that's going to help the PAL program as well too.
Speaker 1:I'll have to add that to my calendar. I always love going down there anyway.
Speaker 4:It's a great place.
Speaker 1:It's beautiful.
Speaker 2:Thank you guys so much for coming on the Cape Copcast.
Speaker 4:Thank you for having us we appreciate it.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening. If you guys have any questions or anything like that, you can always email capepdpao at capecoralgov.
Speaker 2:Have a good one, thank you. See you next time. Bye, bye.
