'Shop with a Cop' sends the right message

“If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.”

— Mohandas Gandhi,

Spiritual leader of India

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department is bringing a worthwhile national program to benefit the less-fortunate children in our area this Christmas season.

The program, called “Shop with a Cop,” is a terrific way to help those young people who are less fortunate to understand the principles of giving.

I became familiar with Shop with a Cop previously when the Rolla Police Department in the town where I served as editor previously began the program about eight years ago.

I went along for media purposes, watching from a distance as law-enforcement officials from agencies throughout the county contributed monetarily while others actually assisted with the shopping. And, let me tell you folks, what happened was magical.

As a journalist, it made for terrific photo opportunities. Most often, the image just begged to be preserved. Let me paint the photograph: Imagine a big, strapping cop in uniform pushing a cart through the aisles while a lad or lassie a third their size puts gifts in those carts.

The most-tender moments come from the law-enforcement officials themselves. You see, the children are given a dollar amount to spend and the officer keeps a cumulative tally of what the child amasses for gifts as they are placed in their cart.

Now, you’d think a child who has very little might go hog wild in the toy aisle, but more often than not, that’s not the case, and these are the moments that pull at our heartstrings.

I watched as children bought shoes for their brother, mittens for another brother, multiplication flash cards for their sister, a screwdriver set for dad and a new dish strainer for mom’s kitchen sink.

My point is, these children who have so very little, seem to do the best at giving to others.

In one instance, and I wrote about it then, a child was torn between the gift for their brother and one for them, which they selected last. The sum of the two went over the dollar amount, and I watched as the boy of about nine years old put the item he wanted back on the shelf.

It was a tender moment that moved both the Rolla police sergeant who was shopping for the boy and me.

So, what happened?

This sergeant, a tough big lunk of a guy with whom I was invited on a ride-along for a meth-bust months previouisly, told the boy to go ahead and keep his item, that he’d make up the difference out of his own pocket. This 6-foot 4-inch mastodon of a man got teary-eyed.

The child, who had only met the officer 30 minutes before, hugged him. It was a special moment that I’m sure neither the officer nor the child will ever forget. Certainly, I didn’t.

The Shop with a Cop program fosters goodwill with children, but a huge byproduct of that reveals a side of law enforcement the public — and certainly these children who benefit — will never see otherwise. As a communtiy that  supports law-enforcement, we can’t buy that kind of goodwill for our children.

So, for those of us empty-nesters, like myself, who want to feel really good about gift-giving this year, call deputies John Davis or Brad Dodson at the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department and contribute. Please do it soon, as children in Eureka will shop Dec. 17 and here in south Lincoln County on Dec. 19.

I guarantee it will warm you better and longer than Christmas hot apple cider.

 (Alan Lewis Gerstenecker is editor of The Western News.)