Heber and Park City locals may have heard sirens early Saturday morning on Heber’s Main Street and state Route 224 as a motorcade of officers drove local children to Walmart for holiday shopping.
At the store, smiling kids could be seen picking out needs, like coats and gloves, and wants, like Barbies and toy cars.
It was all part of the annual Shop With a Cop event where officers are paired with children in need to enjoy breakfast and buy Christmas presents.
In Park City, around 140 kids and 70 officers joined in the event. Park City Police Officer Jackie Bittner has participated in Shop With A Cop for 15 years. She said it’s her favorite event of the year.
“We look forward to it, just like spending time with our families and our co-workers, it's equally important for us to have positive interactions with the public, especially with kids,” Bittner said.
Bittner was helping two siblings pick out gifts: 4-year-old Aliyah and 6-year-old Aiden.
It was Park City Police Officer Shea Jackson’s first year for Shop With A Cop. He watched his list closely as he shopped with 7-year-old Ivan.
“It's pretty fun, so far. Little chaotic, but still fun,” Jackson said. “Oh, we got cars over here, that's on your list, cars, right?”
Officers were bumping carts going through aisles grabbing and looking at toys and clothes.
Jackson said officers took elementary and middle school students shopping while those in high school got gift cards. Every child received $200 to spend.
He said spending time with kids and being in the community is always good for law enforcement officers.
“It lets them see that we are human as officers,” Jackson said. ”I know a lot of times people look at us like we're just out there to get people in trouble, when really this is what we enjoy most, more than actually enforcing the laws that we're charged with doing.”
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3 sponsored this year's Shop With A Cop. It’s funded through private donations from organizations including Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Utah Properties which said it raised over $30,000 to help more than 100 Summit County families this year. BHHS is a financial supporter of KPCW.
