CLEVELAND — We know police officers for their badges, their bravery, and their dedication to protecting our communities. But on Monday, they traded in handcuffs for ornaments.
Cleveland Police departments across the city put their creativity to the test in a Christmas tree decorating competition — proving there’s more than one way to serve and protect.
This is the second year the competition has taken place, featuring 11 decorated trees from different districts and units. Each one is unique in its own way — from trains and personal ornaments to even a Santa making an appearance. Sgt. Freddy Diaz says it’s a great way to get the holiday spirit going.
"Holidays are always a busy time for us, officers, oftentimes are not home with their family during the Christmas time. We're hoping that this kind of breaks that monotony, breaks out that routine,” said Diaz.
He adds that while the halls are decked, the rivalry is too.
"Officers are very competitive. It went from ‘don’t come to my district, you can’t see my tree’ — they didn’t want anyone to cheat,” Diaz said. “It got kind of fun. They started poking around with each other. It’s very nice to see — not stressful situations — just have some fun and enjoy this.”
This year, they also invited celebrity judges — including News 5’s Nadeen Abusada. The judges will pick their favorite tree, and on Friday, the winner will be announced and receive a special prize, which is still a mystery.
Below you can find a photo of each tree.
Nadeen Abusada is a Cuyahoga County and immigration reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Instagram NadeenAbusada or email her at Nadeen.Abusada@wews.com.
