Harris County Sheriff's Office Hosts Shop with a Cop at Target in Cypress
The Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) joined the Shop with a Cop program this holiday season, bringing joy, building positive relationships, and creating lasting memories between law enforcement officers and the youth in our community.
This program spread holiday cheer by allowing children to shop for gifts alongside law enforcement officers using donated gift cards valued at up to $200 each.
HCSO began a partnership with Macy’s in August 2022 and this year, with Target. However, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office has participated in various Shop with A Cop events with other organizations over the past several years.
This season, HCSO participated in eight Shop with a Cop events, culminating on December 22 with the last Shop with a Cop at Target in Cypress at Spring Cypress Road and US 290 on December 22. What set this shopping experience apart was an essay contest that gave hopeful participants an opportunity to share their perspective on who their favorite hero is and why.
Interested applicants ages 8 to 17 each wrote a 200-word essay. With over 60 essays submitted, the Community Engagement Division of HCSO was tasked with the difficult decision to select eight for the final Shop with a Cop event, all of which were read and re-read multiple times before being selected. The essays were written from the heart, many of which celebrated their parents for being role models, advocates and loving supporters of the essay winners – their children.
As participants, their families, officers and Target staff gathered for welcoming remarks, Timothy Mordecai with the Community Engagement Division read the winning essays aloud to share the participants’ heartfelt words, holding back tears in several moments.
Each participant was paired with a law enforcement officer and a shopping cart adorned with balloons. The duos spread out across the store to shop for their Christmas wishes, arriving at registers with smiles once they had selected their desired items.
The event was a memorable experience that helped share the magic of the season while fostering positive relationships between the community and local law enforcement.
“It was super fun, and I loved the cop that I shopped with. It was really nice for Target to help make this happen,” said one of the participants.
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Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
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