When James Hood took over Lathrop Police Services as chief last year he wanted to continue the trend of meeting with the community established by his predecessor.
And now his efforts are going to take on a Christmas flair.
Hood, a San Joaquin Sheriff’s Department Captain and the Chief of Lathrop Police Services, is set to meet with Lathrop residents at the Lathrop Generations Center on Monday, Dec. 12 at 4:30 p.m. – adding a holiday spin to his goal of having coffee with those of the community on a monthly basis.
Both cocoa and cookies will be provided by the chief for those who attend, and parents are encouraged to bring their children for a special appearance by Santa Claus.
Hood, who served as the lieutenant underneath Chief Danelle Hohe, has made it a point to remain accessible to the community and to continue the community-oriented policing model that was in place before he was assigned to Lathrop.
Hood had previously stated that by keeping lines of communication between the police and the community open, residents are more likely to play a role in helping to keep their own community safe since they know what to look for, and the wall between the public and law enforcement is slowly taken down.
His officers have not only had a strong presence in local schools, but also been highly visible at community events and outreach efforts to help bridge the gap between residents – some of whom just recently moved to the community – and those that are sworn to protect them.
And their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.
Earlier this year a local church held a special prayer calling for peace in the wake of protests that turned violent and even deadly in the events of Dallas where police officers were targeted by a sniper. And while the issue of policing in America became more polarizing in certain communities, a group of Lathrop residents organized a thank you event for first-responders that drew hundreds of participants.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.