The aisles of Gulf Shores Walmart were crawling with Gulf Shores Police officers Dec. 18 as they helped 10 Gulf Shores youth shop for Christmas gifts.
The Gulf Shores Police Association’s Shop with a Cop program is in its third year. The association works with school counselors from Gulf Shores City Schools to identify children or teenagers and choose between eight to 12 children. This year’s group consisted of eight children and two teenagers.
The association began the event to give back but also to start building positive relationships with children in the community.
“The ability to identify children that may not have had great interactions in the past with law enforcement for whatever reason and show them the compassionate side of officers that we are fortunate to have in this city is invaluable. As fun and rewarding as it is for the children, it has been equally the same for the Gulf Shores Association employees that participate,” said Sargent Marlin Hanner.
Gulf Shore’s operates their Shop with a Cop a little different from most departments Hanner explained, “We differ in the way we operate this program versus other departments. The shopping portion of the event is not geared toward buying gifts for the children participating. The children are buying gifts for their family. They learn the spirit of Christmas as we see it, which is giving.”
The evening started with dinner at The Diner before heading to the Gulf Shores Walmart in a motorcade of police vehicles complete with lights.
After the officers assisted the children with shopping for their gifts, volunteers and Walmart employees wrapped each gift. The officers then take them home so they can put the gifts under the tree for their family.
In the days after the shopping event a few employees go shopping for all the children that participated. Those gifts are delivered Christmas morning to the children at their homes as a surprise.
The Gulf Shores Police Association raises fund throughout the year from various sources including officer participation dues, profits from T-shirt and sticker sales and donations. The Shop with a Cop program also receives money specifically set aside from their general fund.
The program also benefits from generous local business that make donations of gifts as well as monetary donations. Gulf Shores Walmart donated $5,000 to the Gulf Shores Police Department at the start of the evening Dec. 18. Publix, Books-a-Million, Target and The Diner all provided donations to the program this year.
