On the contrary, the city’s Department of Public Safety was on a mission of goodwill and whimsy — delivering presents and making house visits with Santa and the Grinch.

Earlier, detective Sgt. Tabitha Turnacliff with Escanaba Public Safety had provided the Delta County Sheriff’s Office with a list of city residents who would be participating in Shop with a Cop, a program that pairs underprivileged children with police officers for a donation-funded shopping trip to buy gifts for their families.

After the gifts had been purchased, they were wrapped and prepared for delivery to the selected families along with ingredients for a Christmas meal — ham and other groceries. The food was donated by Skradski Family Funeral Homes.

In the City of Escanaba and in Wells, 22 homes were on the list for Santa to visit Monday. Far from stealthily flying from rooftop to rooftop with magical reindeer, for this outing, Santa employed the assistance of several fire trucks and other municipal vehicles, some with flashing lights and roaring horns.

The Grinch points and sneers at the camera before clambering aboard a fire truck in pursuit of Santa on First Avenue South on Monday. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)

As the escort stopped one by one to bring early Christmas to area children, the Grinch followed. Twice the Grinch tried to seize the sack of toys from Santa but was interrupted, “arrested” and led away by Public Safety officers.

In a faux-attempted-theft, the Grinch tries to yank a bag of toys from Santa — foolishly right in front of Public Safety officers. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)

With his plan foiled, the Grinch is led away by an Escanaba Public Safety officer with his hands behind his back. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)

The Escanaba Department of Public Safety escorts Santa Claus on a route to deliver early Christmas presents to children in town. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)