JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Johnson City Police Department (JCPD) is now accepting applications for its 10th annual Shop with a Cop program, which pairs eligible kids with an officer for an evening of Christmas cheer and gifts.
This year’s Shop with a Cop event is taking place on Dec. 11. The program has been in operation for a decade and is a partnership between the JCPD and Johnson City Schools.
Parents must first apply for their household, and based on certain criteria, eligible families will be selected to participate in the evening.
Actresses assist The Salvation Army in Mountain City “Shop with a Cop is an event that our officers look forward to every year,” said Chief Billy Church. “It is an opportunity for the department to build positive relationships with children and their families, showing the community that we are here to support and uplift one another.”
Applications can be downloaded online o r picked up in person, and finished applications should either be emailed to SWAC@johnsoncitytn.org or mailed or hand delivered to the JCPD at 601 E. Main Street with ATTN: Shop with a Cop.
All applications are due before Nov. 15.
The evening will start with a dinner at Wild Wing Café, followed by a walk through the lit-up trees at Founders Park’s Candy Land Christmas. Kids will then travel via school bus to Walmart, where they’ll be paired with a JCPD officer to shop for their favorite toys.
Children being applied for must be between the ages of 5-12 and be a student in Johnson City Schools. To determine eligibility, Shop with a Cop committee members will coordinate with school counselors, teachers and SROs, according to the JCPD. The child must not have been a program participant in the last three years or have had any major disciplinary actions within the past school year.
While children participating are only between the ages of 5-12, the program serves the whole family, the JCPD said. Each child out of that age range in the selected applicant’s household will receive wrapped gifts and winter clothes on Christmas morning, and the entire family will get a food box.
“Donors are the heart of this program,” said Church. “Their kindness brings happiness to children and their families, offering support during a time that can be challenging for families in need.”
Those wanting to provide tax-deductible financial contributions to the program can do so in the form of a check written to the City of Johnson City with “Shop with a Cop” in the memo line. Those checks can be mailed or hand-delivered to the JCPD.
Those wishing to purchase specific items for Shop with a Cop participants are encouraged to use the JCPD’s Walmart, Target, or Amazon gift registries below:
New this year is a no-cost way to donate to the program during checkout at Kroger stores.
“In partnership with Kroger Community Rewards, a portion of all grocery sales with a linked Kroger Savings Card account will go to JCPD’s Shop with a Cop,” the JCPD states. “To link your Kroger Savings Card, sign into your Kroger account, under account settings select ‘Community Rewards.’ Select our program by name (Shop with a Cop – Johnson City Police) or by number (PH158).”
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