Kids benefitting from “Shop with a Cop”

Price, Utah — “Another successful year” for “Shop with a Cop” in Carbon County, according to officials report. Approximately $6,000 was raised, including $1,000 from private donations, brought holiday cheer to 45 children. Grants from the Utah Police Civilian Association and Walmart accounted for a bulk of the funding with McDonald’s providing breakfast and USU-Eastern donating the use of its student center for the gathering. Price police department Sgt. Kelly Maynes and all other volunteers drew praise from organizers as well.

“Shop with a Cop” is a statewide program sponsored by the Utah Police Civilian Association. Children are paired with an officer for breakfast and a morning of shopping for holiday gifts and warm clothing. Participants are most often disadvantaged or at-risk children, many experiencing past negative situations with law enforcement. Hope is the latter is soothed by positive one-on-one associations.

The St. George Police Department held its annual event earlier in the week. Last year’s “Shop with a Cop” didn’t take place because of the pandemic.

“It was definitely good to be back and doing this again with the kids,” Washington County chief deputy Brock Bentley said.

The sheriff’s office was joined at the event, capped by shopping at Walmart, by members of the Utah Highway Patrol and representatives from Adult Probation and Parole, the Bureau of Land Management, Colorado City, Dixie State, Hurricane, LaVerkin, Mojave County, Santa Clara-Ivins, Springdale, Utah State Parks, and Zion National Park.