Kids build new friendships during Shop with a Cop

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - Lt. Chad Parker with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office may not be up to speed on all the newest toys. Whether it’s Vampirina or LOL Dolls, he needs a little help, but that’s OK, because his new friend, Isabella Land, is there to help.

Parker was partnered with Land for the annual Shop with a Cop event. This year, it was held at the Millerville Target. Ten kids were selected by Target and law enforcement. They got to spend a limited amount of money on their Christmas toys this year.

EBRSO partnered with Target to help children this holiday season! 🎄 🎅 Children were given the opportunity to shop for gifts 🎁 with the help of deputies and Target team members.
Posted by East Baton Rouge Sheriffs Office on Tuesday, December 11, 2018

“My favorite part of this every year is just seeing the kids' faces, seeing the parents or the grandparents or whoever brings them. Their faces light up, because I think they get just as excited as the kids do,” Parker said.

Target is a partner in the project. The company says they started it to build a better relationship between law enforcement and the community. “We try to show us in a different light,” Parker said. “We try to show 'em that we’re regular folks, that we can high five, we can tell jokes, we can be silly, and we can do some fun things with 'em.”

The kids range from elementary to middle school students. Schools select kids that are in need and may not be able to enjoy a big Christmas holiday.

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