by Hanna Singh
The Ruston Walmart Supercenter got a little extra crowded this Tuesday afternoon as over 20 officers and 58 excited children lined up for the annual Shop with a Cop event, hosted in partnership between the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, Walmart and other participating law enforcement officers.
Invited to help were officers from the Ruston Police Department, Choudrant Police Department, Dubach Police Department, Louisiana Tech University Police Department and the Grambling State University Police Department. Each cop was paired one by one with a child allowed to pick out up to $100 worth of items for Christmas.
LPSO Sgt. Iris Winston, who is head of the Community Services Division, touched on how the event brought joy to both the shoppers and the officers.
“We love to give back to the community. As we take the kids to shop around Walmart, you can just see the light in their eyes,” Sgt. Winston said. “It is so beautiful. We just like showing our softer side at the Sheriff’s office and giving back.”
Not only does the event allow officers to provide an exciting shopping experience for the children, but the night gives the departments an opportunity to connect with the community on a deeper level. While many children and young adults might be used to seeing law enforcement in a more intimidating light, families were able to connect with officers serving time outside of their regular shifts in a more personal environment. Lincoln Parish Sheriff Stephen Williams shared the driving force behind the department’s community initiative.
“At the Sheriff’s Office we stress with our employees, our motto that is ‘we’re here to help’,” Sheriff Williams said. “We try to express that here with this opportunity to give back to the community, something in the spirit of Christmas.”
In an effort to grow and provide support for the event, the Walmart Supercenter raises money throughout the year from donations along with providing a grant from the Walmart Corporation. They partner with local law enforcement annually to support families in the surrounding community. Walmart Community Project Coordinator Leah Frazier explained how the corporation works to keep the program going each year.
“We partnered together over 15 years ago to do something positive for the kids around Christmas,” Frazier said. “Walmart helped by providing grant funding for the program and we have helped with fundraisers and stuff like that. It’s just a matter of partnering with law enforcement each year to put this on for these kids.”
For many children and officers, this event holds a special place in their heart. After years of volunteering and making connections with the kids, officers have given back time and love to their community more and more. Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Garrett Madden highlighted what makes the Shop with a Cop event meaningful to him.
“One reason I love Shop with a Cop is because my job is being a school resource officer, and I love working around kids,” Madden said. “So an extra opportunity I have to give back to our community and work more with the kids and to put a smile on their faces. That is reason enough for me. To give them a merry Christmas is very satisfying for me.”
Tuesday night many children with full carts and happy hearts, alongside officers and families filled with a little extra Christmas cheer this year.
