BANGOR, Maine — Five lucky Bangor kids teamed up with police officers for the annual Shop with a Cop event.
Even though the event was smaller than usual because of COVID protocols, the department found a way to keep the holiday tradition alive and do a smaller version with fewer kids.
The event consisted of the kids and their families arriving at Target at a set time. Then, kids were paired up with an officer, and they were allowed to put any gifts they wanted for themselves or their families in their shopping carts. The group picked up the bill.
After the shopping, officers took all the gifts back to the department to individually wrap and later deliver to homes. The idea is for the kids to have gifts to open on Christmas.
"It's a good time. It brings everybody together. And again, just seeing the kids' faces when we are at checkout, and they are seeing all the things that are going to be under their tree, and knowing that they get to pick out presents, not only for themselves but also their family members. It's really important," Officer Elizabeth Ashe said.
Ashe said the program is an excellent opportunity to partner with local schools and have a positive police interaction.