(Featured photo showing police officers participating in the annual Shop with a Cop event in Grays Harbor, Washington. Photo Credit: Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World)

Shop with a Cop is a community program often organized by police departments to build positive relationships between law enforcement and children in the community.

The concept is straightforward but impactful: police officers accompany children, usually from underprivileged backgrounds, on a shopping spree. Funding for these trips often comes from department fundraisers and direct donations.

Although the program usually targets the holiday season to help kids celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, some communities host events throughout the year to keep the giving going.

On December 2, 2023, Grays Harbor celebrated its 25th annual Shop with a Cop event with plenty of lights, loud sirens, and excited children. It was originally started in 1999 by Betty Crass, who was a civilian employee of the sheriff’s office.

Schools in the Community Select Deserving Children

In many communities, it is the school district that is responsible for selecting the kids that would benefit the most from the Shop with a Cop program. Grays Harbor is no exception.

“If it weren’t for this, [the kids] probably wouldn’t get much for Christmas,” said former Sheriff Rick Scott. “It’s just a really fun thing to do since lots of these kids come from homes where [this outcome] is through no fault of their own.”

The Grays Harbor tradition features police officers from departments throughout the region to team with children from the community. They take them shopping for presents for themselves and their families.

“The main thing is that it is an opportunity to have an interaction with kids that’s positive,” said Scott. “That way, they don’t see law enforcement in a negative light. We hope they see that cops are people too.”

Children selected for the Grays Harbor Shop with a Cop event receive a Walmart gift card to complete their trip. Before going to the store, officers have breakfast with everyone (including Santa Claus!) at the Aberdeen High School. From there, the vehicles run with lights and sirens through the downtown area.

Kacey Grove is one of the local organizers. “I think it is an amazing time and a way to hopefully make sure some of the students in our community had an extra special holiday.”

Everyone is encouraged to stand on the sidewalks or in front of local businesses to wave as the kids travel by.

Shop with a Cop Has Been in Some Communities Since the 1980s

Although Grays Harbor recently celebrated its 25th anniversary of embracing this program, Shop with a Cop has been around in some communities for over 40 years.

Over the years, these programs have evolved to include not only shopping sprees, but also other community engagement activities. This approach fosters a more holistic approach to building positive relationships between law enforcement and youth.

“It is a blessing to all our youth, and participating in this event helped children and their families have a happier holiday,” said Lt. Wilber Santiago, who leads the neighborhood coordination unit in Atlantic City.

What makes the program on the other side of the country unique is that the cops choose the child from their ward. “Some of these officers already have a relationship with their kid because they’ve been to their house for a crisis,” Santiago said. “Now, we’re in their lives. We have a connection and can see them grow.”

Closer to Grays Harbor is the Shop with a Cop program in Woodinville, which is a Seattle suburb. The kids go with officers to a local Target to get presents.

“All the time when he sees the police or hears the ambulance, [my son] is very scared,” said Juana Diaz, who had her child selected in 2019. “He says, ‘Mommy, the police, they gonna take you.’ But I say no, it’s not like that.”

The program launched in Woodinville in 2013 with one family. “We had a family really in a lot of need,” said Deputy Shaman Wicklund. “We threw a bunch of money in a hat and took them Christmas shopping.

In Woodinville, over 50 families and 120 children are served each year. The Atlantic City program helps 300 kids annually.

For those in Grays Harbor, each recipient receives a $100 gift card. “The staff at our Walmart was amazing and assisted us with whatever was needed,” said Grove. “They had parking marked off and supplied the wrapping materials. They were even out front, waving at the kids as they came in.”

The event traditionally features 60 kids and the same number of officers from throughout the county. To ensure the program continues, it has become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Washington State.