Reseda : Cooking Up a Way to Thank Officers

When they arrive at the police station each day, the men and women of the West Valley force are prepared for anything. Tuesday, though, the community will prepare for them.

Prepare food, that is. Lots and lots of food.

As part of Feed the Cops Day, Neighborhood Watch members and senior lead officers will stuff 225 rank-and-file officers with turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce and potatoes as well as pork tenderloin and taco salad, said Ellie Vargas of the Community Police Advisory Board.

“We’ll have so much food that we might have to treat another station or freeze it and feed them again at Christmas,” Vargas joked.

The food is an expression of appreciation for the dedication of the detectives, patrol officers and civilians who work out of the station, said Sgt. Russ Bolton of the Los Angeles Police Department. And, given the upcoming holidays, providing food seemed appropriate.

“We’re attempting to tell the teams, ‘Thank you for all the hard work,’ ” said Bolton, a senior lead officer who is helping to whip up the free lunch.

Apart from expressing thanks, Vargas said, the event is a chance to meet the officers and talk to them informally.

“The officers are really appreciated, and they don’t even know it,” Vargas said. “They see so much while we say so little.”

That appreciation runs so deep that volunteers--about five at any time--will be at the station house from noon Tuesday to 3 a.m. Wednesday. “We’ll have continuous service for [officers’] staggered shifts,” Bolton said.

“Not everybody will be able to eat together, but there will be somebody waiting to serve them a hot meal when they get in.”