‘Shop with a Cop’ has COVID-19 twist

Kids not able to attend event this year for health concerns

CLEARLAKE>> The traditional Christmas event “Shop with a Cop”, organized by the Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, had to undergo changes amidst the 2020 pandemic. Instead of taking kids shopping at the Clearlake Walmart on Monday, as had been done the past six years, local law enforcement officers shopped by themselves in order to protect the families who received their gifts on Tuesday.

“We started doing this after the Valley Fire. A donation was given to us by the the Bay Area Deputy Sheriffs’ Charitable Foundation. They gave us $10,000 to be able to shop with Valley Fire victims kids during the Christmas season,” said LCSO Sgt. John Drewrey. “That was our very first year of doing that. Since then, we’ve been fundraising on our own to be able to make the shopping event happen yearly.”

Each officer spent $200 on warm winter clothes, holiday goods and other needed items. The officers were required to buy a pair of pants, a pair of shoes and a jacket. After those requirements were met, they purchased additional item such as toys and other presents.

“I reach out to all the different school districts within our county and assign them a certain number of children to be able to participate in the event,” Sgt. Drewrey added. “Traditionally, the way that it works is the children that are selected will meet us — law enforcement — here at Walmart, and each child gets paired individually with a uniformed officer. The two of them go out together as kind of a team and go shopping for the child. Having the in- store shopping experience, where the kids were able to be paired up with a uniformed officer for 45 minutes to an hour, is awesome.”

According to Sgt. Drewrey, this year, because of COVID-19, officers weren’t able to do any fundraisers.

“So, we’re a little bit low on funds when it comes to the number of kids that we were able to shop with. Last year, we shopped with approximately 175 kids. This year, we’re only able to shop with 100 kids, because we weren’t able to fundraise,” he said.

“The other way that it’s different is that we don’t have kids here this year. I created a form for the teachers to send out to the kids that were chosen with essentially wish lists. It was a wish list, a needs lists, and has all the children’s sizes for their clothing, height, weight and age, so that we can get things that are appropriate for them,” Sgt. Drewrey added.

According to Sgt. Drewrey, schools are instructed to pick out students that are less fortunate, “because the idea is to get warm weather stuff, bedding and things that those kids in our community don’t have. We’re trying to reach those kids and get them things that they need. The other part of that is to be able to get kids that are needing that positive interaction with us.”

LCSO Lt. Rich Ward is taking part in the “Shop with a Cop” event for the fourth year. This edition, with the pandemic, “has been difficult, but I think it’ll pay off when we get to deliver the gifts in person. Year after year, we have more and more of an interest and more and more of an involvement, both from law enforcement and from the community”, he said.

“This year is not too much different, other than children aren’t here to pick out their stuff, but they gave us detailed lists of what they’re looking for. It’s so nice to be able to come out and to shop for them, so they can get some stuff for Christmas, because, oftentimes, they’re not able

to get much, or their family doesn’t spend much on that particular area. The

shopping is done here, and the gifts are given to kids throughout the whole

county,” said Lt. Tim Hobbs of the Clearlake Police Department, another officer who said he was excited about delivering the gifts on Tuesday.

Members of the Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Office, Clearlake Police Department, Lakeport Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Lake County District Attorney’s Office, Lake County Probation Department, and State Parks participated in the event. The goal of the program is to break down barriers with youth in the community and to develop

better and more trusting relationships with law enforcement.

Of the 100 kids who were invited to participate in this year’s event, 94 accepted.

PHOTOS BY BOB MINENNA Clearlake Police Department Police Chief Andrew White enters the checkout line during the annual Shop with a Cop event Monday at Walmart in Clearlake. Law enforcement officers from several jurisdictions are each allowed to spend $200 for toys, clothes and other Christmas gifts that are given to children in need.

Sheriff Brian Martin of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office helps load the gift bags during the annual Shop with a Cop event that took place Monday in Clearlake. The gift bags were delivered Tuesday.

A truck loaded with toys purchased during the Shop with a Cop event on Monday.

Bri Sheldon of the Department of Fish and Wildlife exits Walmart in Clearlake with her load of goodies.

Officer Brian Hansen of the California Highway Patrol checks out a sweatshirt at Walmart in Clearlake.