Shop With a Cop returns

Yes Virginia, there will be Shop With a Cop this Christmas season.

The annual event, in which police officers from all around Ozaukee County shop for Christmas gifts for local school children and their families, will take place Dec. 19, organizers said this week, although in a modified form due to concerns with the coronavirus.

“I’ve just started reaching out to schools to get names of children so I can contact parents, see if they’d be willing to participate and get a wish/want list,” Laurie Miske, an administrative assistant at the Saukville Police Department, said Monday.

The event, which the Saukville department has organized each of the past seven years, was a candidate for the Covid-19 chopping block as have been so many other local events this year.      

“Oh, I’m not going to give it up. It’s too near and dear to my heart,” Miske said. “This year, the need is probably going to be bigger than ever.”

This year’s event will be modified, however, Miske said.

In the past, officers were paired with children from their community and the two went shopping together at local stores, then came back to the Saukville station where the presents were wrapped and a Christmas meal was served.

This year, officers will shop alone, armed with a gift list, the gifts will be wrapped by dispatchers and office staff and then delivered to the children at their homes, maintaining social distancing.

“That’s the best we can do. It’s a shame that we won’t have Santa and everything, like we did last year. Without the social distancing, it probably wouldn’t fly,” Miske said.

Saukville Police Chief Robert Meyer agreed.

“Our Shop with a Cop event is always a wonderful opportunity for our local law enforcement agencies to interact and build even stronger relationships with the communities we serve,” he said.

“Unfortunately, we are going to miss out on some of the great parts of the event like breakfast, shopping and visiting Santa together, but we are excited we can still make this happen.”  

Miske said she is in the process of reaching out to past supporters of the event, with Walmart and Meijer stores having already signed up. 

She said she already has a full complement of volunteers lined up. Her hope is to provide gifts for 30 children, same as in past years.

Despite the changes, Miske and Meyer said their hope is for the event to be as successful as ever. “Especially during this trying year, it is so important to spread positivity and kindness,” Miske said. “That is why 2020’s Shop with a Cop is so important and that is what we strive to do.” 

“This personally is my favorite event each year because it brings all members of our communities together to share in such a fun-filled event,” Meyer said.

For more information, call Miske at the Saukville Police Department at 284-0444 or email her at lmiske@village.saukville.wi.us.