Collinsville police are ready to protect citizens from anyone — including Santa Claus

’Twas the week before Christmas and all the Collinsville police were up to much more than a simple press release.

The Collinsville Police Department made up their own version of the famous 1823 Christmas poem “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.” On Monday they released web video produced by the city’s cable and audio visual department and starring a police officer’s family, as well as St. Nicholas himself.

“Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the city, not a criminal was moving, which wasn’t a pity,” it began.

It included a sly poke at their partners in the fire department: “The firemen were nestled all snug in their racks; it had been a long day of playing Xbox and taking some naps.”

Not sparing themselves, the officer’s ordnance trunk is covered with multiple boxes of doughnuts — both Krispy Kreme and Dunkin’ Donuts, with no favoritism.

As of Monday afternoon, the Collinsville Police Department’s “’Twas Night Before Christmas in Collinsville” had been viewed more than 1,700 times in the first five hours it was on the department’s Facebook page.

This story was originally published December 18, 2017 at 6:38 PM with the headline "Collinsville police are ready to protect citizens from anyone — including Santa Claus."