Barnstable – The Annual Shop with a Cop event is being hosted tomorrow by the Yarmouth Police Department alongside many other Cape Cod law enforcement agencies for its ninth year in a row.
The program brings together a group of youths selected by their school counselors to go out shopping for holiday necessities with Yarmouth and other Cape area police officers.
“They’re the future and they have good hearts. Usually, what you’ll see is they’re laughing and joking with a police officer next to them and shopping for their siblings or parents. It’s a great day and it’s another way to show that police are just another person in the community. We’re all so lucky where we get a chance to make a difference in someone’s life,” said Yarmouth Deputy Chief of Police Steven Xiarhos.
The group will have lunch at Sam Diego’s in Hyannis before heading to Target in the Cape Cod Mall.
Each student will receive a $125 gift card for shopping that the program funded entirely from private donations.
Deputy Chief Xiarhos said that the program is the “essence of policing”.
“Yes, we spend time arresting people who break the law, who need to be held accountable, but most of the time you’re doing good things. You’re helping someone that’s homeless or struggling from addiction and this is just another way we’re allowed to help,” said Xiarhos.
Xiarhos said that this program is another example of the good things that happen all year long and is part of what makes Cape Cod special.
Anyone who would like to donate to the program can send or drop off donations made out to the Yarmouth Police Relief Association ‘Shop with a Cop’ program at the Yarmouth Police Headquarters.
“It’s just a beautiful program that started with an idea and here we are nine years later—not only making a difference in this generation of students, but we’ve made friends for life,” finished Deputy Chief Xiarhos.
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