South Euclid police, Cuyahoga DD deliver holiday gifts to adults with developmental disabilities
For South Euclid Police Officer Andrea Galbraith — whose sister works for the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities — this mission is personal.
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SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio — Patrol cars pulled up to a Help Foundation group home Friday morning, but this wasn’t a typical police call.
Officers arrived with arms full of wrapped gifts for residents with developmental disabilities — the result of the South Euclid Police Department’s first-ever holiday drive specifically for this community.
“This was the first annual. Hopefully we’re going to continue this for years to come, but we weren’t quite expecting the turnout that we got,” said Officer Andrea Galbraith, who organized the drive. “And it just goes to show what the community is that we live in here, that people are willing to go out of their way.”
A personal mission
For Galbraith, this cause hits close to home.
“My aunt is actually a former special needs teacher; she did that for her entire career, retired from that. That led to my sister becoming involved in the developmental disability world as well,” Galbraith said. “She worked at a place called Hattie Larlham, and then she switched over to Cuyahoga County Board of DD. So now that she’s there, we talk all the time, because our jobs relate to each other a lot more than we would’ve ever imagined.”
That family connection has shaped how Galbraith approaches her work as a patrol officer.
“I’ve found that because I know a lot of the terminologies … so that makes them a little bit more at ease because it’s like, ‘Oh, this isn’t just a police officer that’s coming to talk to me. This is somebody who understands the world I’m living in,'” she explained. “And so it just does really make that bridge a lot easier for me to make way with individuals.”
Galbraith says she responds to nearly every call involving someone with a developmental disability or mental health issue.
“I’m one of the few officers that go to probably every single call that has something to do with somebody that has developmental disability or any kind of psychiatric issue or anything of that nature. Mental health, that’s kind of my forte, so I’m on every single one of those calls,” she told us. “I know a lot of the individuals in our community that are in the developmental world just from going to calls and being there and being a familiar face time and time again.”
Community responds
South Euclid police partnered with the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities for the drive. For weeks, community members dropped off items from personalized wish lists — everything from Cleveland sports memorabilia to journals, nail polish. and a bathrobe.
“We’re known for going above and beyond here, we’re known for being respectful and being professional and being polite, and that’s just really what our department strives for,” Galbraith said. “We don’t want to necessarily always be seen as the enemy. There is a part of our job that does make us that, and we understand that and there are times where that is necessary, but we’re also here for the community and we’re here to protect them and keep them safe and make them feel comfortable when we’re around.”
Amber Gibbs, CEO and superintendent of Cuyahoga DD, says the partnership sends a powerful message.
“People with developmental disabilities often live on really limited incomes, and so making sure that they have some money to spend on the holidays, making things joyful, can be really difficult for individuals with disabilities. It can be hard for the providers that serve them every day,” Gibbs noted. “And so when an organization like the South Euclid Police Department reaches out and says, ‘We want to help,’ it really sends a message that everyone in our community is important, everyone deserves to have a holiday season that is joyful and exciting. And it really goes to prove what we already know, which is that Greater Cleveland is the most welcoming and inclusive place that you could be.”
A special delivery
Thursday morning, officers and volunteers wrapped the gifts at the police department before loading up patrol cars. Galbraith brought along her 4-year-old daughter, Ella, to help hand out presents.
“I have my daughter and then I’ve got two stepdaughters, and they absolutely adore what I do. They talk about it all the time, and I make sure that they see that it’s a good thing and it’s not just the bad that we unfortunately see often,” Galbraith said. “So it is very heartwarming to know that she can be a part of this today and can see me doing these good things and know that the police aren’t always scary and mean; that we’re human, and we’re just here to make things better for everybody.”
Susan Berneike, vice president at Help Foundation, says the gesture meant everything to the residents.
“We are a provider for individuals with developmental disabilities,” Berneike explained. “We’ve been serving the community for 60 years. We have a residential program serving about 100 residents, and then we also do adult day services of vocational rehabilitation and employment services.”
“It’s absolutely incredible; we have wonderful partners all year long. It’s especially meaningful. A lot of the individuals we work with don’t have family members who are actively involved,” Berneike added. “So to have the community come out and assist and celebrate, spread joy, I mean, it just means so much, and folks have been anticipating this visit all week, so it’s incredibly meaningful and just we couldn’t ask for more. And just again, wonderful partners with the county board, the South Euclid Police Department. It’s just been fantastic.”
Support from Cleveland sports community
The drive received major support from Cleveland sports organizations. The Guardians donated jerseys, bobbleheads, shirts and hats after learning the residents were big fans. The Browns Barkers club also contributed a $1,000 cash donation to the home.
“It’s been great. Every single person that I’ve been in contact with — whether it be from Cuyahoga County DD or whether it be from the Help Foundation, which is the company that runs the group home that we’re sponsoring this year — everybody’s been phenomenal,” Galbraith said. “Everybody has been quick to get answers or very appreciative of what’s going on.”
Building awareness
There are 18 congregate group homes in South Euclid overseen by Cuyahoga DD, housing about 100 individuals with developmental disabilities. South Euclid Police plan to make this an annual tradition, sponsoring different homes each year.
Galbraith hopes the drive does more than just spread holiday cheer — she wants it to educate the community about the diversity within South Euclid.
Trial begins for men accused of killing Philadelphia police officer at airport
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — The trial began Tuesday for two men charged in the shooting death of Philadelphia Police Sgt. Richard Mendez. He was killed while investigating a car break-in at Philadelphia International Airport last year. His partner, Officer Raul Ortiz was injured.
Dozens of officers filled the third-floor courtroom at the Criminal Justice Center to support Mendez’s family. The 50-year-old sergeant was shot on Oct. 12, 2023, inside the airport’s parking garage.
“This is a moment we wish we weren’t here for, but we are,” said Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, who attended part of the trial.
The defendants, 23-year-old Hendrick Pena-Fernandez and 20-year-old Yobranny Martinez Fernandez, face murder charges. A third suspect, 23-year-old Alexander Batista-Polanco, pleaded guilty last Friday and is expected to testify during the trial.
“We feel confident that we’ve created a strong case,” said Bethel. “We feel confident in the team that presents that case.”
Opening statements were delivered on Tuesday after the jury was seated. The defense emphasized the lack of surveillance footage from inside the parking garage where the shooting occurred. Prosecutors countered that cellphone data places the defendants at the scene.
Earlier this year, New Jersey’s attorney general said the suspects were part of a multi-state auto theft ring.
Mendez’s widow and other family members were present in court, joined by several widows of other slain officers.
“It also warms your heart to know they care for each other, and know how hard that is, to see them do that,” Bethel said. “Even Officer Mendez’s wife, she’s helping others as she goes through her tragedy. Proud of them.”
The trial is expected to last one week. If convicted, Pena-Fernandez and Martinez Fernandez could face life in prison
Man and woman found dead in Mount Waverley house, man arrested at railway station
Tue 12 AugTuesday 12 August
In short:
A man and a woman have been found dead after yelling was heard coming from a unit in Mount Waverley, in Melbourne’s south-east.
A 34-year-old man was arrested at a nearby railway station several hours later.
What’s next?
Homicide Squad detectives will interview the man, who police believe may know someone at the house where the bodies were found.
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Heavily armed police have surrounded a house in Melbourne’s south-east where the bodies of a man and a woman were discovered.
At about 9:55pm on Monday, police received reports of yelling coming from a unit on Adrienne Crescent in Mount Waverley.
Aerial vision of the outside of the house showed walls spray-painted with graffiti, including the words “karma”, “enough is enough” and “betrayal”.
Police said they escalated their response after a further call to triple-0, with members of the Critical Incident Response Team among those who arrived at the scene.
The Homicide Squad’s Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said officers found a man and a woman dead inside the home.
“Of course, that’s very traumatic … obviously they weren’t expecting that last night,” Inspector Thomas said at the scene on Tuesday morning.
A 34-year-old man was arrested about 6 kilometres away at Westall Railway Station at about 1:40am on Tuesday and remains in custody.
“We believe that there is a link between our suspect and the address,” Inspector Thomas said.
“But we’re just working together at this point to make sense of what that means and what it all looks like.”
He issued an appeal for anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the area between Adrienne Court, Ferntree Gully Road and the railway station to contact police.
“The person that we took into custody was in the company of two large dogs. I think that would look fairly obvious to people who may have been in the area.”
He said police were not looking for anybody else in relation to the deaths.
The woman was formally identified as a 39-year-old from Mount Waverley. Police believe the man is a 50-year-old, also from the same suburb.
Inspector Thomas would not say how they died, however he said a weapon other than a gun was used.
“Crime scene examiners are examining the scene at the moment,” he said.
“That will go for the best part of the day, I would suggest.”
Neighbours told the ABC they heard a loud noise just before 10pm and the street was in lockdown all night, with some unable to return home.
One neighbour, who did not want to be identified, said she could not sleep as she was terrified by the police presence, airwing and search dogs.
She called emergency services to find out what was happening and was told to stay inside and keep doors and windows locked.
Inspector Thomas said support and counselling was being offered to those living in neighbouring units.
Victoria Police has urged anyone who witnessed the incident, has footage or information that may help detectives to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
