Public Safety

Shop With a Cop Gets a Secret Santa

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San Diego County Sheriff deputies and Probation officers are taking part in a multi-agency juvenile team sweep of the Sports Arena Target store this Saturday. The mission: giving 330 deserving children a happier holiday season.

That’s right, it’s time for this year’s Shop With a Cop event, and every law enforcement agency in the County is participating.

This year an anonymous donor played Secret Santa, pitching in an extra $50 for each child.

“This is the first year we’re giving the kids $150 instead of the $100 they gave before and that’s thanks to a gracious donor,” said La Mesa Police Officer Colin Atwood, who is helping coordinate the event. This year’s festivities are hosted by the La Mesa and El Cajon police departments and are sponsored by SeaWorld, Target, STAR/PAL, and the San Diego Crime Commission.

The 21st Annual Shop With a Cop will begin around 7 a.m. Saturday at Sea World where third-graders specially selected from throughout the County will be paired up with a law enforcement officer or deputy for an early Christmas shopping spree day later in the day.

Senior Probation Officer Angelica Orozco is usually assigned to the Juvenile Gang Suppression Unit, and works with a lot of underprivileged families in her job. So when she was approached to participate in this event, she was thrilled to take part last year—and she’ll be doing it again this year.

“It reminds me of why I chose this career in the first place, to see the joy of the children and to interact with them in a different environment,” said Orozco. “We get to experience something special with them that they probably wouldn’t have the opportunity to do.”

Orozco said it is also a wonderful opportunity for some of these children who have a family history with law enforcement to see that officers can be trusted and are there to help.

San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy Rey Lyyjoki said 20 Sheriff’s deputies are participating this year in the event, and every year they help transport the children to SeaWorld in Sheriff buses. San Diego County Probation has 50 people participating, some sworn deputies shopping with children and others helping with other volunteer positions like gift wrapping or coordinating, said Supervising Probation Officer Linda Yoakum-Latimer.

The children will be treated to a special breakfast with their law enforcement officer or deputy buddy and a special Pets Rule! Show at Sea World. From there they will be led to the parking lot where Santa Claus will buzz the parking lot a few times in the San Diego Police Department helicopter and lead the way to Target.

The children will get to activate the lights and sirens for a Code 3 caravan response to the Midway area store arriving just before 10 a.m.

Once there, they get to shop. Atwood said officers don’t try to direct the children too much unless their parents have sent them with a list. He said they want the children to choose for themselves. Although it is not expected, sometimes when children have gone over budget in the past, officers have quietly made up the difference at the cash register without the children realizing.

Afterward, volunteers help gift wrap presents and the children have an opportunity to visit with Santa Claus in the Target parking lot.

Yvette Urrea Moe is a communications specialist with the County of San Diego Communications Office. Contact