Malvern Police hold Shop with a Cop
Members of the Malvern Police Department joined area youth for their annual Shop with a Cop event on Monday evening. The officers accompanied the youngsters to Wal-mart for an evening of holiday cheer, gift-grabbing, and pleasant conversation between the kids and the officers.
Capt. Doye Delacruz said the MPD have participated in Shop with a Cop every year since starting the program in 2015, minus the 2016 season. He stated that Malvern officers were first inspired by North Little Rock officer Tommy Norman, who is credited with creating the event and has made national news with his charitable work in the NLR community.
Delacruz said that the NLR officer’s good deeds
motivated the Malvern department to apply for a community grant through WalMart to organize their own Shop with a Cop program back in 2015, but this year’s event was made possible by an anonymous donation from a generous and caring Malvern citizen. Wal-mart helped guide the group through the
store and also presented each child with a gift pack during the excursion.
Delacruz said the department partners with the Department of Human Services to find children to participate in the special event. He said the officers of the Malvern
Police Department would love to help all the kids in the community who need it, but such assistance is impossible, so the police department counts on DHS to impartially connect them with kids in the county who need a helping hand through the holiday season.
Delacruz said he and the
other officers enjoy the experience just as much as the kids. “It’s a bonding between the police officers and the kids,” he stated. “They know the importance of what it is like to be a kid and open a present on Christmas day or what it might be if you don’t
have that.”
Delacruz hopes the time he and his fellow officers spend with the youth in the community reminds kids that the police are here to help. “You want them to know that if they’re in need or in trouble or need help, that they can come to a police officer anytime. I mean, that’s what we’re here for,” Delacruz stated. “We hope that that interaction is so positive that they carry it with them the rest of their lives,”
Delacruz knows that the influence he has in the community leaves a lasting impression, and he takes that responsibility seriously. “I think we all play a key role in raising children, no matter what you do.” He stated that he had two loving, supportive parents, but not every child is so lucky. It takes parents, teachers, law enforcement, community leaders, and everyone working together in the best interest of our youth to raise thoughtful, productive, and well-adjusted kids.
The annual Shop with a Cop event sponsored by the MPD goes a long way toward fostering good will between law enforcement and the Malvern community while providing needy children with a special Christmas they won’t soon forget. You can donate to next year’s event by contacting Capt. Delacruz at the Malvern Police Department, 501-332-3636.