Police deck the cells

Photo: CTV

The latest card features a decorated jail cell and advises youths to spend the holidays at home, not with police. Dec. 10, 2014. (Handout)

The Abbotsford Police Department has dropped gun-toting Santa Claus from its annual Christmas card in favour of a darker, more serious message.

While past cards were sent to known gangsters, drug dealers and repeat offenders in the Fraser Valley city, Chief Const. Bob Rich said this year’s mailing is aimed at youths who’ve had run-ins with police.

“We’re aiming for younger people whose lives are at risk of going astray,” Rich said in a video produced by the department. “We’re saying look, you need to make choices that make your life great. Don’t let your life go down a horrible path.”

The latest card shows someone standing in a jail cell that’s decorated for Christmas, reports CTV Vancouver.

Inside it asks, “Where will you be spending the holidays this season? We hope it is with your family, not with us.”

The first card, sent in December 2012, featured Rich as a machine gun-hoisting Santa Claus donned in tactical gear. The next year’s had Santa being scolded by Mrs. Claus for playing with guns, while still packing a pistol tucked into his boot.

All of the mailings have offered a help line for people looking to escape a life of crime, at 604-864-4777. Police said the number is available to anyone, not just those who receive the card.