Walking through Super Target with Lincoln Police Officer Taylor Murphy, 11-year-old Mikenna Mason wanted to get some Christmas presents for her mother and brother, but chose some gifts for herself as well.
"I got some clothes, a blanket and a unicorn backpack," she said. "And some shoes."
Mikenna was one of 60 students from Everett, McPhee and Elliott elementary schools who participated Saturday morning in the annual "Shop with a Cop" event, which is a partnership between the Lincoln Police Department, Target and the Lincoln Police Union's Santa Cop program.
"Shop with a Cop" pairs each child with an officer to pick out presents for themselves and family members on a budget of $150. After that, the kids can wrap the presents at stations operated by LPD family members or civilian employees.
"It's a way for police officers to meet kids in the community, and the kids to be able see the officers in a non-threatening manner and be able to develop a relationship with them on a first-name basis," Capt. Mike Woolman said.
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"Shop with a Cop" began five years ago and started small, with 30 children from Everett and McPhee, but soon expanded to double the number of children.
Charity Iromuanya, a community coordinator for Everett, where Mikenna attends school, said she loves the program because of its focus on families and children.
"I think it shows all the families that our Lincoln Police Department, they have a really tough job, but they’re also very caring," she said. "They care about the kids in the community, and they care about the families in the community."
Iromuanya said the kids are chosen for the program based on their needs or how well they have been behaving in class. "Shop with a Cop" has a big impact on the children, she said, because they get to have positive interactions with officers.
"This is just them going above and beyond their job description, because I’m sure 'Shop with a Cop' is not in their job description," she said.
Iromuanya said she's grateful and excited to be a part of the event. As are the kids.
"I want to do it again," Mikenna said. "It was really fun, and I think all schools should do it."
Woolman said the program is a great community outreach project for LPD.
"It's a real fun event for the kids," Woolman said. "And I think it's even a lot more fun for the officers.â€