Another successful ‘Shop with a Cop’ in the books
T-R PHOTOS BY ROBERT MAHARRY Marshall County Sheriff Joel Phillips, front, and Marshalltown Police Department Detective Kraig Lageschulte, back, roll up to the checkout line during the annual “Shop with a Cop” event at Walmart on Tuesday night.
T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY Law enforcement vehiclesT were lined up in front of the Marshalltown Walmart on Tuesday night for the annual “Shop with a Cop” event.
T-R PHOTOS BY ROBERT MAHARRY Marshall County Sheriff Joel Phillips, front, and Marshalltown Police Department Detective Kraig Lageschulte, back, roll up to the checkout line during the annual “Shop with a Cop” event at Walmart on Tuesday night.
T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY Law enforcement vehiclesT were lined up in front of the Marshalltown Walmart on Tuesday night for the annual “Shop with a Cop” event.
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Marshalltown Walmart shoppers may have noticed a horde of law enforcement vehicles from multiple local agencies with their lights flashing in front of the store the last few nights, but they weren't there to investigate a crime or arrest anyone. Instead, they were spreading a bit of holiday cheer to families in need through the annual "Shop with a Cop" program.
Shop with a Cop runs entirely on private donations through the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), and on Tuesday night, officers from the Marshalltown Police Department, the Marshall County Sheriff's Office and the Meskwaki Nation Police Department were all on hand to participate. Officer Justin Allen of the MPD touted the ongoing program as a way to foster better relationships with the community his department serves and show the officers themselves as everyday, down to Earth people.
"It really sets up community relationships, not just with the people that we help, but I've already been stopped with the one kid I've helped by four or five separate individuals. And they know what it is. They're like 'Shop with a Cop,' right? And then they say thank you," Allen said. "So it gets a good light out there and helps us interact with the public."
Allen said the FOP worked with local schools to identify families who might be struggling to afford presents this year, and they planned to help 86 kids total and spend almost $1,000 over the two nights of shopping. He added that it might surprise people to know that despite whatever hardships they may be facing, the children often look to help other family members first before themselves, citing the example of a boy who wanted to make sure his sister and stepsister got gifts -- and that his dog got a sweater.
Anyone interested in contributing to the program is encouraged to reach out to Allen, who serves as the vice president of the FOP chapter, Detective Steve Sheetz, the FOP president, or Sgt. Paul Heitman, who is the treasurer.
"Any of us can take the donation, and the public is really, really grateful for the program and they reciprocate that by funding it because it's 100 percent community funded," Allen said.
And most of all, he hopes Shop with a Cop will continue because it's a whole lot of fun both for the officers and the kids for whom they get the opportunity to buy presents.
"Obviously, it's the interaction not just with the kids but the community because you get to have a lot of fun. The children get to see we're just -- I mean, me personally, I'm just a grown up child," he said. "We get along real well. We get to have some fun, interact with them, let them see that 'Hey, we're just a person like you, nothing to be afraid of. We're here to have fun."