Hundreds of kids helped after 30 years of Shop with a Cop

IDAHO FALLS — Over the past 30 years, local law enforcement in Bonneville County has served well over 1,200 children with their annual Shop with a Cop program.

Each year officers, deputies, troopers and support staff with the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Falls Police Department, Idaho State Police, Idaho Department of Correction and Idaho Department of Fish and Game come together to bring smiles to the faces of children.

Saturday was no different, as about 45 of the area’s finest paired up with 38 local kids to make it a Christmas to remember.

“I just love seeing the kids smile, and it’s a good opportunity to have a happy experience with these kids,” Idaho State Police Cpl. Amanda Ward said while shopping at Target.

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Ward was with 10-year-old Sophia, who was searching for lip gloss for her mother. The trooper and the child had started the morning with breakfast at the Eagles Lodge in Idaho Falls. They then participated in a parade of siren-blaring police vehicles from the lodge to Target.

For Sophia, it was a chance to change her perspective about cops in general.

“My favorite part was seeing how everything works and how nice the officers are,” she said. “I used to think that they were kind of rude, but now that I’ve gotten to hang out with them I know they are really nice.”

Sophia’s changing viewpoint is one of the biggest goals of Shop with a Cop in Bonneville County, and has been since the program started in 1993.

Bonneville County Sgt. Karl Casperson was one of the founders of the program, along with Corrine Pratt, who was an employee at Kmart at the time. She has since continued to work with the program.

“We wanted to get kids that had a bad experience — who had been abused or neglected,” Pratt said. “Some of these kids, the only interaction they had with an officer was when their parents were getting arrested. So we tried to put the positive back in — so they could always know they had a friend and someone to rely on.”

The program has grown a lot since 1993. Pratt said she got the idea from programs in Utah and Arizona and became convinced they could do the program in Idaho Falls.

Originally, the program only allowed for $30 to $40 per child, and many officers dipped into their own pockets to help out the kids. Today, generous donations allow for each child to receive $250 so they can shop for their entire family at Target.

One of the highlights of the shopping spree is an opportunity to see Santa Claus. Casperson says they always try to make the visit memorable for the kids.

“We always try to come up with a new way to bring Santa Claus to the kids,” Casperson said. “We’ve had helicopters, we’ve had tanks, we’ve had race cars, classic cars and even a hot air balloon one year. We are always striving for something new.”

This year, Santa arrived in a snowcat — a winter all-terrain vehicle used by the sheriff’s office. After a brief greeting, the kids got to commence their shopping spree and got photos with the big guy.

Eight-year-old Aaliyah said her favorite part of the morning was the chance to ride in a police car and play with the sirens. She was paired up with Lt. Sage Albright with the Idaho Falls Police Department.

“This brings home the idea of the Christmas spirit,” Albright said. “So often during the year, we do things that aren’t super positive, and so this is a great opportunity for us to get out and spend time with a really cool, happy kid and be able to share some joy and happiness. This is the kind of thing that fuels you for the next year.”

Locals are encouraged to donate to Shop with a Cop through the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center. Donations have been open since Nov. 30 and will be for 30 days to celebrate 30 years of Shop with a Cop. Click here to donate.