4-year-old boy sworn in as honorary Colton Police Department officer
By Lesley Marin
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COLTON, California (KCAL, KCBS) — A 4-year-old boy was honored with the ultimate recognition from the Colton Police Department on Tuesday night, when he was sworn in as an honorary officer.
Ezra Galicia’s obsession with police officers was highlighted earlier this year, when his aunt called the police department dispatch line to see if some officers could stop by for his birthday party.
After that, and seeing the passion that Ezra has for his local law enforcement, the department decided to take their partnership a step further. Instead of taking a traditional oath to serve, Ezra’s oath included promises to do good and listen to his mom, dad and aunt.
He was gifted a custom Colton Police uniform and given his very own badge during the swearing-in ceremony.
“I feel like, you know, his dreams came true,” said Ezra’s aunt, Elyssa Shaw. “I am not gonna hear the end of it, and I hope I don’t because this is the coolest thing ever.”
Since showing up for Ezra’s birthday, the video posted on the Colton Police Department Instagram page has been viewed more than 10 million times, creating a busy couple of weeks for the 4-year-old.
Colton Police Chief Anthony Vega says that the event has, in turn, motivated his own officers, many of whom were honored at the same ceremony for their community involvement.
“He is so loyal and committed to Colton Police Department that his aunt said I gotta make the call,” Vega said. “Once we put that together, we were all just hooked. He motivated and inspired us.”
Ezra’s parents say that he’s taking everything that’s happened very seriously.
“You can see the proudness in him,” Ezra’s mother, Salina Galicia, said. “It’s just been a blessing, honestly, to see my son shine through this.”
“Confidence, like, ‘I’m a real officer now,'” his father, Luis Galicia, said.
Before he left, Ezra was treated to one last right as a rookie officer — a trip in a CPD patrol car.
Vega said that while this isn’t the first time that the department has done something like this for the community, it certainly won’t be the last, as it helps his officers build a relationship with the people they serve.
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