Pitcairn Police Chief Scott Farally’s annual undercover assignment is quite a few steps off the beaten path.
Each year, Farally can be seen around the borough in December, dressed as everyone’s favorite holiday sour-puss, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
This year, PTO parents at Dr. Cleveland Stewart Jr. Elementary arranged to have Farally and Detective Tara Caruso surprise first-graders on Thursday.
“He walked through the hallways and at the library he interacted with some of the kids and gave high-fives and hugs,” said Cleveland Stewart PTO co-vice-president Brittany Delancey of Monroeville. “Then he and Officer Caruso read ‘Cop’s Night Before Christmas’ to the kids.”
This particular undercover mission required some additional logistics — a Cleveland Stewart teacher was also dressed as the Dr. Seuss character and “ruining” the holidays in another part of the elementary school.
“We had to make sure the groups were separated,” Delancey said with a laugh. “They had the best time, and the kids just love Officer Tara. I’m hoping we can get them into the school in the future to do a safety program or assembly.”
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