Seven local law enforcement agencies worked with nonprofit organization PC Power to give away computers for Christmas this year.
The program was started in 2003 by late Tulsa Police Officer Glenn DeWeese. He gave away 25 computers that year.
This year, Karen Ford — a former TPD captain and current executive director of PC Power — is giving 60 computers to needy kids. She says they may not be as fun as toys, but they have a bigger impact.
"Kids without that access or who have to go to the library, maybe spend 15 minutes and wait two hours to get that 15 minutes, they get further and further behind in school work," Ford said. "So it's very important, and it's nice to see these kids who — their parents can't afford computers — get access to this."
The computers are four years old or newer, and this year all of them come with flat-screen monitors.
Many of them are donated by businesses that are upgrading. Any donated computers' hard drives are formatted, and PC Power installs Windows and educational programs.
Ford said the computers can help more people than just the kids.
"These days, there's a lot of school systems that are going to giving kids iPads, but that's for that particular kid," she said. "It doesn't extend that much to the rest of the family. This does."
PC Power also provides computers year-round for needy kids, Habitat for Humanity families and disabled adults.
