Dallas Police will take kids from low-income families shopping this weekend as part of "Shop with a Cop." Shop with a Cop was started in 2019, and this weekend, officers will take kids to the Under Armour store at NorthPark Center.
"It allows us to build a personal connection with the children we shop with and, hopefully, allow them to get some needed clothing for school and for wintertime coming up," says Dallas Police Assistant Chief Angela Shaw.
Shaw says developing that personal connection can help kids get past the fear they might feel when they see someone in uniform. She says officers look forward to "Shop with a Cop" as much as kids.
"Under this uniform, we're all mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, moms and dads," she says. "It is an amazing opportunity for us. It's like Christmas for us, to be very honest with you. Going out there and having the opportunity to get something for a child who needs something is heartwarming."
The Nancy Lieberman Foundation is funding the program, but Shaw says officers will often chip in their own money if a child runs out.
"Our officers do, out of their own pocket, pay the difference at times to be able to allow the child to take home everything they're looking to get," she says. "It is beyond words. It's indescribable, and it's just as enjoyable for us as it is for the kids."
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