Shop with a Cop helps local kids and their families have better Christmas
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IDAHO FALLS — Twenty-seven children and their families are having a better Christmas this year thanks to the efforts of local law enforcement.
On Saturday, a large group of deputies, officers and troopers representing Bonneville County and its communities came together to participate in Shop with a Cop. The annual event was in person again this year, after being significantly scaled back in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is an opportunity for us to get out and help someone, be part of Christmas and really serve in a personal sense,” said Idaho Falls Police Officer Tyson Hummer.
Hummer explained the program is targeted toward kids who have had negative interactions with police, been victims of abuse or neglect, or whose family may not have the resources for them to provide a good Christmas.
“This makes Christmas more enjoyable for them, and it gives officers an opportunity to show we are people too, and are out here trying to make a difference,” Hummer said.
The morning started out with a pancake breakfast at the Eagles Lodge in Idaho Falls. Parents and caregivers dropped off children at around 7 a.m. and each child was paired with an officer or deputy for breakfast.
Nine-year-old Natalia was paired up with Deputy Shane Lusk. During breakfast, she said meeting officers was a lot of fun, and something she hadn’t ever done before. She was excited about the prospect of riding in the police procession with a patrol vehicle’s lights and sirens on.
After breakfast, at around 8 a.m. the children were all loaded into law enforcement vehicles to parade down Hitt Road. The officers are encouraged to use their lights and sirens, and show the kids the different features of the patrol vehicles.
Their ultimate destination was Target, where the children received a bundle of prepackaged gifts for every member of their family. The officers also had a chance to take the children through the store and buy them an individualized present separate from the prepackaged carts of gifts.
Deputy Brandon Mcintier was in charge of escorting 5-year-old Bella. He says he’s been doing Shop with a Cop for 12 years, and he still loves doing it every year.
“Christmas just isn’t Christmas without Shop with a Cop and helping these kids,” Mcintier said. “It brightens your day, it brightens the season, and it’s so fun to watch them go from being very scared at first to having a wonderful time by the end. It’s such a joy.”
In addition to the Shop with a Cop in Bonneville County, similar events were held in Madison and Bannock counties Saturday.
