Kids in Regina had the opportunity to go Christmas shopping at Cornwall Centre along with an officer from the Regina Police Service (RPS).
After a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Regina’s CopShop returned for its sixth year where 20 local children were given a $200 gift card and were guided by 20 RPS officers who acted as personal shoppers.
Wednesday morning, officers rewarded selected children for their achievements and positive strides towards goals.
RPS Deputy Chief Lorilee Davies said it’s really such a great event because it’s building relationships between these young kids and police officers and really seeing each other as people in the community.
“They started (out as) strangers at the beginning of the day, but by the end of the day, it’s amazing just the bond that’s created,” said Davies. “It really gets back to the heart of why you wanted to be a police officer. It’s making a difference to a child in the community, creating that relationship.“
Jonah Wolfe was excited to be one of the lucky shoppers who was paired up with an RPS officer. He spent some of his gift card at his favorite store, Dollarama, to pick up crafting items.
“I (bought) Pokémon cards for my brother and something small for my mom because she likes small things,” said Wolfe. “It (was) fun going around Cornwall mall and seeing all the Christmas ornaments and eating and I even got some Booster Juice.”
Katie Dockham, marketing manager at the Cornwall Centre, said she works closely with their retailers and sponsors to get extra support for the CopShop event.
“We (provide) gift wrapping, snacks and things for the kids … after they are done their shopping,” she said. “The kids (also went) to The Bay and (picked) either a brand-new winter jacket or a pair of boots.”
The CopShop event is in partnership with the Cornwall Centre, RPS and TRiP which gives each officer a chance to connect with a young person in a positive and meaningful way. TRiP is an early intervention initiative that works with kids that are vulnerable.