Officers, schoolchildren learn lesson of giving through ‘Shop With a Cop’

Schoolchildren and police officers shared the lessons of holiday giving with each other Wednesday morning at the Merced Mall during the annual Shop With a Cop event.

Merced police officers were paired with a child from Merced City Schools for a day of shopping at the mall. The officers each picked up a student whom principals handpicked as deserving of the treat. The students rode in the front seat of the officers’ patrol cars to the mall for their day together and enjoyed a group lunch afterward.

The event is in its seventh year.

Merced Mall donated money for the students to spend. Though the money is meant for students whose families may not be able to afford Christmas presents, many students chose to buy gifts for friends and family members rather than spend it on themselves and even had lists ready.

If the students spent all their money on family members, it wasn’t unusual for officers to use their own money to buy the youngsters something, said Merced police Chief Norm Andrade.

“It’s our way of giving back,” Andrade said. “We hope these kids will grow up with the same idea of paying it forward in kindness.”

Sgt. Don King said it’s not just the students who benefit from the event: “I get as much out of it as they do.”

King stood by as fourth-grader Shaun Marshall waited for GameStop to open, peering through the glass windows. “He’s super excited,” King said, with a smile. “He can’t wait for them to open the door.”

King, a 22-year veteran with the department, said the event creates the opportunity for police to have positive interactions with children in the community.

Andrade said law enforcement has fallen on “hard times,” and that the public “doesn’t see us as good guys anymore.”

“This helps the kids see us in a different light and lets them know we are here to help them and be their friends,” he said.

Brooklynne White Whitnell, 8, was one of the students who spent her money on family members. The third-grader from Rivera Elementary bought gifts for her mother, brother and cousins.

The event also taught students how to manage their money. Older students, such as Leyani Graves, 12, understood the concept of money from their math classes.

Others, like 8-year-old Charles Her, were content buying a few T-shirts. “He doesn’t realize how much he has,” said Sgt. Robert Solis with a chuckle.

Capt. Tom Trindad said this is his fifth and last year participating in Shop With a Cop before he retires. Gracy Candelaria and Jeremiah Jackson joking called Trindad “mall cop.”

Said Trindad: “I always get the cool kids.”

This story was originally published December 16, 2015 at 6:49 PM with the headline "Officers, schoolchildren learn lesson of giving through ‘Shop With a Cop’."