It was Christmas Eve eve, and everybody inside the Mariscos Guayabitos Mexican restaurant seemed to be in a festive mood.

Strains of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas — the Johnny Mathis version — could be heard playing overhead, while lights twinkled on the Christmas tree beside the counter.

At a table in the center of the front dining room sat Turlock Police Officer Gustavo Gomez, who greeted customers as part of “Tamales con la Policia.”

The two-hour event, with customers enjoying free tamales while meeting members of the Turlock Police Department, was a joint effort between TPD and the restaurant, located at 129 Fourth St.

“I believe the Hispanic community needs to connect more with the police department,” said Josefina Ayala, the restaurant owner. “There needs to be more trust between our community and law enforcement.”

Conversely, Gomez said it’s good for the law enforcement officials to display a softer side.

“It’s always good to show the public we’re human beings, too, and not robots,” said Gomez, who also helped to organize a fundraising bowling tournament recently that will award $1,000 to five graduating seniors in the spring. “We actually enjoy stuff like this.”

A half dozen police officers were on hand to meet and greet the public, but five of them had to answer an emergency call, leaving Gomez, four police cadets, and a code enforcement technician to greet guests.

Seated at an adjacent table was Modesto resident Rally Aoyama, representing the Modesto Chamber of Commerce and the Stanislaus Latino Chamber of Commerce. She was joined by her mother, Susie Mendelsohn, and her twin sons, Jackson and Leland, who celebrated their 21st birthday on Nov. 29.

The twins both have autism, and Aoyama believes it’s beneficial for her sons to establish a bond with police officers.

“I love these events because I’m a parent of special-needs kids, and so it’s important for them to meet officers in a neutral, friendly environment,” said Aoyama, who explained that her twins communicate on a kindergarten level. “Whenever they encounter law enforcement, there will already be a language barrier, as far as their communication skills. At least they can have pressure relieved and the feeling that this is a friend, instead of it being a fearful experience.”

Also on hand was Ramon Mendez, of the Turlock Chamber of Commerce, and Farmers Insurance agent David Gonzales. Mendez was seated at a table with Diana Lynn Kaysen of AmeriCorps. Kaysen, whose son committed suicide on Oct. 2, wanted to talk to police officers about services available to those who have suicidal ideations.

Edward Gallegos, of Mahogany Landscape Solutions, was seated in a booth with Carolina Meraz, the COO of the Ojeda Group team of Realtors. Both were there to enjoy the tamales and alote — a thick and creamy chocolate-like drink that is served hot. 

“I work in the area and I’m getting back in touch with my roots now that I work and serve this community,” said Meraz, a former Turlock resident who now resides in Merced. “I think it’s very important that the community is connected and that we know one another. I was asking Officer Gomez about their crime-prevention program, and that’s something I’ve been wanting to get connected with and see what kind of services can support our business, and how we can support the community from our side, as well.”

Sgt. David Shaw, who was on hand before he had to leave the gathering on official business, thinks these kind of events are vital to the department.

“It’s always nice, especially around the holidays, to let the guys come out and meet the community,” said Shaw, who has served 22 years with the Turlock Police Department. “It gives the guys a different view of the entire community. What they do for a living is usually dealing with people’s problems. And when they can deal with people, and it’s not a problem, they see that community has great support for them.”

Abhinav Sharma, a criminal justice major with a concentration in law enforcement at Stanislaus State, has been with the police cadets since September. He’s known for the past year that law enforcement is the career path for him.

“I have always wanted to be a police officer when I was a kid,” said Sharma, a 2022 Turlock High graduate. “But then I started to gravitate toward the medical profession since a lot of family members are in medicine. But I’ve known for the past year that this is the way I want to go.”