Shop With A Cop Held At North Maple Walmart

Shop With a Cop was held for the 9th year now at the North Maple Walmart Monday.

Morgan, Perry, and Muskingum County Officers are paired up with a child in need and then help them to shop for clothing and toys for the holiday season. We spoke to Jim Hicks, the President of the Fraternal Order of Police Associates for Zanesville, who says it takes a community to fund the giving.

"We have a number of raffles we do through during the year, and then we also have donations from local citizens and businesses and stuff that support it."

This year, 32 children took part in the program. Each one gets to spend about $100. Hicks says the officers love seeing the kids happy. As far as the children go, it’s all about making it a positive experience.

"We’re trying to build a positive experience for the children and law enforcement. Some of them are from troubled homes, some of them are not but it’s getting a positive experience with law enforcement so that when they have problems they’re not afraid to go talk to them."

Hicks says at the end of the shopping trip the children are given a candy bar for an extra smile. To learn more about the event, you can visit the website: fop.org