Shop With A Cop: Strongsville Officers Take Kids Shopping

STRONGSVILLE, OH — For 15 years, the Strongsville Police Department has been helping spread holiday cheer to local children with its Shop With a Cop program. On Dec. 2, officers renewed their commitment to kids in the community by taking 10 children shopping.

The Strongsville Shop With a Cop program is slightly different than those run in other communities. For one, the department limits how many kids it takes out shopping. Deputy Chief Anthony Zacharyasz, who helped found Strongsville's program, said Strongsville wants to make sure that every kid that participates gets one-on-one attention and plenty of time to talk with officers.

On Dec. 2, the department took its kids to the Walmart on Pearl Road. The kids went shopping and officers, with the help of some local businesses, were able to buy what the kids wanted. The children were also treated to donuts, got help wrapping presents and were visited by a special guest: Santa Claus.

Zacharyasz said the emotion that comes from the kids can be powerful.

"It’s overwhelming in some cases. Some of these kids come from…they’re in times that this kind of event is important," he told Patch. "Christmas is a time of importance for everybody and has a different meaning for everybody. Think of yourself like a 7- or 8- or 9-year-old kid."

He said that a lot of the children in the program have parents that are deployed by the military or parents that have been laid off. That can cause fear that Christmas won't happen, or Santa will skip over the child's house that year.

"We’ll help you. We’ll bring Santa back into the picture," Zacharyasz said. "Some of these kids and families are in a time in their lives when they need a little pick-me-up."

While many kids do buy gifts for themselves, Zacharyasz said he is consistently blown away by what kids choose to purchase.

"I can recall taking one young girl shopping and she spent not one penny one herself. She bought gifts for her friends, for her mom, for her brothers and sisters. That’s amazing. It’s amazing how some of these kids think," he said.

The one-on-one experience of Strongsville's Shop With a Cop program has left a lasting impact on some participants. Zacharyasz said that many kids that went through the program will return, years later, to volunteer. They'll help wrap gifts or donate money the program. Some will bring food for the kids.

Photos from this year's event were shared by the Strongsville Police Department on Facebook and can be seen below.

Photo from Shutterstock