Wives Behind The Badge was honored to be invited to spend the day in San Diego and observe their 15th annual Shop with a Cop program.

With the help of Star Pal, a nonprofit organization providing free youth programs and positive interaction with committed volunteers that include law enforcement officers and firefighters, almost 30 San Diego County law enforcement agencies came together to put smiles on the faces of 320 children.

Each child was partnered with a police officer, U.S. Marshall, Highway Patrol, FBI Agent or even a Chief!  Every officer that participated was there during their own free time....making a difference!  Kimberly Hunt, one of San Diego's most respected news anchors, daughter of a police officer and the grand-daughter of an officer killed in the line of duty, emceed the event and said, "These police officers are always there to help you and your family.  They are volunteering their time because they care for you!"  This is what the program is all about - giving back to the community and having fun!

The day started at Sea World.  As the children were escorted off the Sheriff's Department bus they were met by "their" cop for the day. The officer and kids became fast friends as they walked over to meet some Sea World characters, pose for photos and eat a hearty breakfast.  The banquet room was filled with laughter, smiles and wide eyes!  And the kids were having fun too!! 

After breakfast everyone trekked over to the dolphin exhibit for a private show.  It was a short walk to the dolphin pool and the kids were buzzing with anticipation.  Everyone gathered into the arena and found a seat.  We all know that police officers look fear in the eyes every day....and today was no exception!  There were several officers who were true heroes to their shopping buddies as they faced fear head on.....the Splash Zone!!  Water? Uniform? Duty belt? No problem for these gutsy officers!  Bring it on!

When the show was over the kids knew what was next....shopping with their new best friend!  The kids climbed into their partners squad car, hit the lights and sirens and off they went!  Target here we come!!

The drive to go shopping was not your typical one.  San Diego residents, business owners, patrons and drivers looked on with curiosity as over 300 law enforcement vehicles drove the 2.5 miles from Sea World to the San Diego Sports Arena Target with lights, sirens and excited children yelling over the PA system, "WE'RE GOING TO TARGET!"  The parking lot of the Target store looked like a dealership for police cars.  The Target was open to the public too!  Imagine doing your Christmas shopping and all of the sudden 300 lit up police cars come screaming into the parking lot with children bouncing up and down inside!  It was a sight to see that's for sure!  The line of children and officers was wrapped around the building waiting for a special guest...Santa!!  Thanks to the San Diego Historical Society Santa, Mrs. Claus and one of their elves made their grand entrance in a vintage San Diego police cruiser. 

As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Claus were inside everyone followed suit!  They grabbed their shopping carts, the kids hopped on and off they went!  Every isle was a sea of uniforms! Target employees pointed them in the right directions being so helpful! A K-9 officer and his partner riding shot gun in a shopping basket distracted some kids...but only for a minute.  The shopping continued and when the kids felt they had spent their $100's worth they headed to the cashiers.  The lines were long but nobody complained! The smiles and laughter never stopped. The employees, the police officers, the kids...you would have thought they did this every day! Each cashier rang up a cart load, bikes, games, Cabbage Patch dolls, jewelry, clothing...you name it...they had it!  While snapping photos during the checkout it was obvious that most, if not all, the  purchases exceeded the $100 gift card limit.  No worries, each and every officer reached into their own wallet and covered the difference.  Hey, what are friends for right?  

It was a community effort to pull this off and from the naked eye, it went off without a hitch! The Carlsbad and Escondido Police Departments did an amazing job hosting this years event!  Next year's hosts, the La Mesa and San Diego Police Departments, will begin planning for next years Shop with a Cop in January! 

Wives Behind The Badge would like to thank the Carlsbad and Oceanside Police agencies for allowing us to observe this extraordinary event.  Special thanks to Sgt. Greg Koran of the Carlsbad Police Department  for his hospitality. We appreciate all you do for our safety and the community!

More photos:

Breakfast

Dolphin Show

Shop with a Cop