Shop with a Cop brings smiles to children
Zachary Larey and Deputy Jeff Streifling enjoying their McDonald’s® meal before heading out for the annual Shop with a Cop. (Bethany Rolfson/TWN)
Detective Brad Dodson receives a $1,000 check from Shopko Manager Marion Craig Friday with Loni Harmon, left, Sgt. Brandon Holzer, Dodson, Craig, Cindy Beaulieu and Karen Warner. (Paul Sievers/TWN)
Troy Police Officer Chris Pape and Dustin Bowers inspecting Bower’s new Happy Meal® (Bethany Rolfson/TWN)
Sheriff’s Deputy Chanel Geer handing Riley Stoltz his meal at McDonald’s as part of the fourth annual Shop with a Cop. (Bethany Rolfson/TWN)
Riley Stoltz and Sheriff’s Deputy Chanel Geer going through Stoltz’s Christmas list before venturing out for the annual Shop with a Cop. (Bethany Rolfson/TWN)
Sheriff’s Deputy Jessica Vanderhoef and Chloe Reid, who was sporting a Santa hat before venturing out for the fourth annual Shop for a Cop. (Bethany Rolfson/TWN)
Sheriff’s Deputy Jessica Vanderhoef giving a kid a lift into McDonald’s during the fourth annual Shop With a Cop. (Bethany Rolfson/TWN)
This year marked the fourth year law enforcement from Libby and Troy came out to shop with kids from the Libby and Troy elementary schools for Shop with a Cop.
In total, sheriff’s deputy and Shop with a Cop organizer Brad Dodson said they have 16 kids from Libby and five from Troy that were selected to participate in the event.
Before the event, Dodson will go around town and introduce himself to the parents of the students selected, and tell them what they’ll be doing for the day.
Around 17 officers plus other volunteers took the kids out of school in uniform and drove them around town in police cars. The kids were allowed to turn on the sirens and are even known to talk to each other on the radios.
They were first brought to McDonald’s for lunch. Afterwards, the volunteers and law enforcement officials then went out to local businesses with the kids, helping them find the items on their Christmas presents for their family. Dodson said they also try to get practical things for the kids and their families — such as boots if the kids don’t have a pair or snow shovels for the families.
They travel in groups of one or two per adult. That way, Dodson said, they get to spark a connection with the kids that’s difficult to do on any given day in uniform.
“It gives them an opportunity to know us,” he said. “A lot of the times, people get to know law enforcement through bad terms.”
After the kids filled out their checklist, they went down to Asa Wood, where volunteers were waiting to wrap their presents for them, and a bouncy castle was waiting for them to jump on.
Local businesses and individuals also donate to the cause.
“The community is amazing,” Dodson said. “It’s awesome to see the community support us. It means a lot to us.”