100 Local Children Shop With A Cop

More than 100 local children had a brighter holiday after Redlands Police partnered with Target, the Redlands Unified School District and community volunteers for Shop With a Cop last month. Police, volunteers and 104 children and their families gathered at 6 a.m. Dec. 22, at the Target store located at 27320 W. Lugonia Ave. for a Christmas shopping spree. Each child was paired with a volunteer and given an approximate $125 shopping budget. Redlands Police and community members raised more than $15,600 to provide the holiday shopping spree to underprivileged children. The Redlands Unified School District helped the department identify several families in need and district employees, their families and Redlands school board member Neil Waner volunteered their time to shop with the children. Other volunteers included 31st District Congressman Pete Aguilar, County Supervisor James Ramos, Redlands Chief of Police Mark Garcia and his wife Carolyn, members of the Redlands Police Department, Citizen Volunteer Patrol and Citizen Volunteer Park Rangers units, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and County Probation Department and Redlands Human Relations Commissioners Gail Howard and Carole Coley. Eight donors, including Target, contributed $1,000 each to the shopping spree and Target provided gift bags for each child, pictures with Santa and coffee and donuts for the volunteers. Throughout the weekend, members of the department’s Multiple Enforcement Team visited approximately two dozen children and provided additional donated toys. Shop With a Cop and other holiday donations are part of the department’s community policing strategy, which involves cooperation with community groups, faith-based organizations and local businesses to address factors that contribute to a reduction in crime and promoting strong families and safe neighborhoods.