In keeping with the holiday spirit, the Demopolis Police Department pulled together with the help of the community to make Christmas brighter for two local families by giving presents at the downtown DPD station on Dec. 21.
In order to donate the gifts, Jakes Scales and the West Alabama Charity Clays held a skeet shoot to benefit the DPD as well as the Demopolis Fire Department, which was turned into the money for the presents.
“We used those funds to be able to bless two families,” said DPD Chief Tommie Reese. “This represents the whole department. They wanted to be able to give back to the community.”
With tears of joy in her eyes, Crystal Williams accepted gifts purchased for her family and three daughters Camrion Scarborough, 9; Alexi Williams, 7; and Caitlyn Harris, 5.
“For them to have something when they wake up means a lot to me, especially when I can’t do that much for them,” said Williams. “The police department went way over my expectations with the bikes and everything. They’re going to be excited.”
Williams, who moved to Demopolis just around a year ago from Meridian continued, “I go to the public library a lot to look up information. I got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and I have seizures real bad. Mrs. Connie Lawson has helped me out a lot with that and she has helped me find places to help with my disease because I’ve lost my license and other things like that. Mrs. Connie is really a good person. I’ve got three girls: 9, 5, and 7. “They go to Demopolis here. We love it here. We love the people here. It means a lot to me and the girls. They know who Mrs. Connie is and they treat her like she is their grandmother.”
The department also gave presents to Monroe Reese, 12, who is trying to cope with the untimely death of his mother earlier this year.
“It means the world because right now he is trying to get past his mom’s death. It means the world to him,” said Canary Howard, Monroe Reese’s aunt.
Chief Reese added, “We wanted to do something for that child because Christmas is kind of tough with his mom having passed away. We wanted to do something to show the spirit of love.”

(Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the Dec. 24, 2016 print edition of the Demopolis Times.)