Image courtesy of Cullman Police Department, 2014
CULLMAN – This year, the Cullman City Police Department (CPD) will hold its fourth annual Shop-with-a-Cop event on Saturday, Dec. 17.
The event, which is part of a year-round CPD community outreach program, brings less-fortunate children from the city school system together with members of the CPD, giving the kids the opportunity to spend time with a police officer and do some holiday shopping.
“You know, Cullman is a special place,” said co-founder of the program, CPD officer Adam Clark. “But right now, across the country, relations between police officers and their communities are not very good. This program allows us to reach out to the communities and give back to the kids and show them that we’re not all bad.”
According to Clark, guidance counselors from the city schools provide the CPD with the names of kids who would benefit from the event. Then, depending on the number of donations that the department receives for the year, as many of those children as possible get a day of shopping with a Cullman police officer.
“We take them, usually one-on-one, to the store. That way their parents don’t influence their decisions and they can pick out what they really want,” Clark said. “They have to purchase at least $50 worth of clothes. And then they can go to the toys and electronics or whatever.”
Clark said that because donations are low this year and fundraising is behind the program – barring any donations that come in this week – they will only be able to take 10 children. The individual event is only one aspect of the program, however.
Year-round, the department sets aside funds into an account designated for community outreach.
“We just recently bought a new refrigerator for a family who needed one,” Clark said. “And last year we had a community barbecue with the funds we raised for that account.”
For anyone wishing to contribute donations to the CPD’s community outreach program, checks and cash are accepted at the Cullman Police Department, located at 601 Second Ave. NE.
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