Police and law enforcement take kids for a holiday shopping spree (10 photos)

Local police and law enforcement officers came together in order to make the holidays a little brighter for a group of 25 kids during the Shop with a Cop event at Walmart Saturday morning. 

Sgt. Monique Baker and Staff Sgt. Manuela Byrnes were spotted by SooToday in the toy section, where they were helping their six-year-old friend Alyssa find some cool toys. 

While many of the kids use the shopping spree to buy gifts for their family, they were also instructed to buy at least one item for themselves. 

“We have a specified amount of money, and sometimes, we throw in a little extra,” said Baker. “It just gets us all into the holiday spirit - if this doesn’t do it, I don’t know what does.” 

More than 40 police and law enforcement officers and officials took part in Saturday's event, and included representation from the following police detachments and law enforcement organizations: 

• Sault Ste. Marie Police Service
• Sault Ste. Marie Police Association
• Ontario Provincial Police
• Anishinabek Police Service
• Correction Services
• Canada Border Services
• Batchewana First Nation Police
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police

“Every year we have more and more members that want to come. Once you do it once, you’re hooked,” Baker told SooToday. “You want to come back every year. You can’t help it.”

After the shopping spree, the kids were treated to ride-along with officers to Gliss Restaurant, where they had their gifts wrapped by volunteers from Fountain Tire before sitting down to have breakfast with police and law enforcement. 

The Shop with a Cop was started in Sault Ste. Marie by Sault Ste. Marie Police Service Cnst. Fred Brown, who was inspired by a similar event that takes place annually across the river in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.  

“It’s a good feeling,” Brown said while at the Walmart checkout. “It’s a good feeling for the children, it’s a good feeling for the officers - and in the long run, it’s just something that we can give back to the community.”

“We don’t do it for a reward, I think we do it from the kindness of our hearts, and I think that’s the main thing.”