Barnstable Police/CWN
BARNSTABLE – Barnstable Police’s annual Shop with a Cop event returned on Thursday to help break down barriers between police and the community.
High School Resource Officer Dennis Stampfl says they’ll take 9 local high school and elementary students to Sam Diego’s restaurant to start for lunch before heading to the Cape Cod Mall to shop at Macy’s and more.
“As far as picking the kids, typically we select the student that we believe deserves something special and deserves holiday cheer. This provides a chance for kids to receive or give gifts to their family, if they might not be able to do so,” said Stampfl.
“We are definitely fortunate enough that we get to spend every day with these kids and get to learn about them. By doing this we get to break down walls, make some connections, and build positive relationships with the students and their families.”
The kids will get to use donated gift certificates with some rules, says Stampfl.
He says they must buy two items for themselves, encouraging them to feel comfortable providing themselves with a couple gifts for the holiday. After that, they pick out gifts for their families and friends.
Stampfl says they have served over a hundred students in the last 9 years he’s been with the program.
“I just want to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday,” said Stampfl.
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