Shop With Cops

Police and Community Working Together In The Frogtown and Summit University Neighborhoods

What is Shop With Cops?

The purpose of the event is to foster positive relationships between youth and officers. Young kids, K - 6th grade are selected each year during the end-of-the-year holiday season to shop at one of the local area stores to purchase gifts for members of their immediate family. Each child is given a small amount of money to spend, normally $50-$100 depending on the size of the child's immediate family. Approximately 1-2 children are assigned to each police personnel, who then escorts them around the store and assists in selecting appropriate gifts for each family member. The children are told, and understand, that the money is not for personal use and must only be spent on members. After shopping, the children will eat lunch, wrap their gifts, and continue to get to know the police officers.

It has long been noted that relationships between the police department and the Frogtown and Summit-University communities, particularly the communities of color in these two communities, have been very strained. The initial intent of the program was to address the issue of repairing and making these strained relationships better. From a functional standpoint, it was felt that to address this issue the place to start was with the younger kids, ages 5 and up. The effects of the program are multi-faceted. Shop with Cops hopes to break down the barriers between the community and the police with the intent of developing a better and more trusting relationship.

Currently, no measure of success has been employed because there is no paid staff. All contributions the years have come through donations and all program operation functions are accomplished through community volunteers. When resources are available, it is certainly our intent to accomplish some of the goals of creating and using appropriate measuring devices. We believe the program has been successful but realize that future program direction will be best bolstered by previous history and success.

Mcgruff and a Saint Paul Police Officer Volunteer.

Why Shop With Cops?