Everett Police “Shop With A Cop” Helps Record Number Of Kids

The gifts for each family were assembled at an indoor arena.

Wrapping continued this week prior to gifts going to kids and families. Target is the major retail sponsor.

Some gifts required teamwork to wrap.

Gift choices ranged from infants to teens.

Santa and Everett Police officers drop off gifts at Lombardi’s pick up point for kids and families,

Everett Police Chief Dan Templeman and Santa make a delivery Thursday.

That’s what Detective Jamie French from the Police Department in Everett, Washington told me when I asked her a few weeks ago about the Everett Police Officers Association’s annual December event “Shop with a Cop”.

I’ve taken photos of the event since the EPOA began participating in 2015 with five dozen kids pairing up with officers to pick out gifts for themselves and their families at the Target Department Store in Everett. With the pandemic there seemed to be more need than ever but also concern on how to accomplish it safely. I shouldn’t have been worried. Leland Dart – Publisher

Detective French has spearheaded the event every year helping it grow to four times its original size. This year 270 kids from families throughout Snohomish County will be getting gifts.

Participating kids and their families were selected with input from DSHS, Cocoon House, Snohomish Giving Tree, Beautiful Soles, Mukilteo School District and the Everett School District.

Due to the need to social distance, kids were not paired in a physical store with officers but instead provided officers lists of suggested gifts for the families. Detective French and her team then went to work tracking down the gifts.

Nearly eighteen thousand dollars was donated by Everett Police officers, family members, friends and community members to purchase the gifts. Target again served as the major retail sponsor.

After gifts were purchased they were arranged by type and on a recent weekend Everett Police officers and their families went through each list assembling the gifts for the selected kids and their families.

Next came wrapping the gifts and this week Everett Police officers are delivering the hundreds of gifts to families, area collection points and meeting families at the south precinct to pick up their gifts.

“We are so happy to help so many children this year and our community continues giving so they don’t miss out on this special Holiday Season,” says Det. French. “Most of these children have endured so much this year and it’s heartwarming to see their joy and thankfulness. With the community’s help, we witness true holiday spirit.”

Hats off to Detective French, the members of the Everett Police Officers Association and their friends, family and community who made this a such a successful event. – LD