21st Shop With a Cop on Saturday, December 7

Do not be alarmed as police from numerous agencies throughout Grays Harbor will be in descending upon local streets with lights and sirens, and children.

Sheriff Rick Scott says not to worry, as it is the 21st annual Shop With a Cop.

Schools in Grays Harbor select children who they find are deserving of the opportunity to get extra assistance for holiday shopping.

“It’s just a really fun thing to do. A lot of these kids come from homes that, through no fault of their own, if it weren’t for this they probably wouldn’t not get much for Christmas. The main thing is that  it’s an oppetunity to have an interaction with kids that’s positive so that they don’t see law enforcement in a negative light, but they realize that cops are people too.” said Scott.

First started in 1999, the tradition features police officers from departments throughout the area teaming with Grays Harbor children to take them shopping for Christmas presents for themselves and their families.

Children in the program will be given a $100 gift card for Walmart to do shopping with the officers.

Before shopping, officers and the children will have breakfast at the Aberdeen High School with Santa Claus and then get into the vehicles with their lights and sirens on moving through downtown around 7am and onto Walmart at 8am.

The 2019 iteration of the event features 60 children and 60 officers, traveling slowly through the Hoquiam and Aberdeen areas in nearly 60 vehicles. Scott said that he encourages residents to stand on the sidewalks and in front of businesses to wave to the children as they travel by.

 *Special Note: KXRO receives several calls and messages every year concerned about the loud police sirens. Do not be alarmed,  the lights and sirens are part of the celebration for the kids. Shop with a Cop will be taking place from 6:00am to 8:00am.