RHINELANDER - Usually, being escorted by a police officer in a store is not a good thing... That is unless you're shopping with him.

"We get a group of well-deserving children, about 20 children, and we take them Christmas shopping,” said Officer Chad Brown of the Rhinelander Police Dept. “We encourage them to buy presents for themselves, and if they would like, for their immediate family."

It's called the "Shop with a Cop" program. For the 4th year, Rhinelander police and firefighters will buddy up with 3rd graders to make their Christmases a little brighter- while giving them a different view of police.

"They get partnered with either a police officer, or a firefighter, or sometimes both... It helps develop a relationship with the police officers and children, they get to meet us on a personal level, they get to see that we're not here only in bad situations, we’re here to help, we’re here as friends."

After shopping with their new big buddy, kids head back to the station for help wrapping their toys. They leave with gifts in hand, and memories for a lifetime.

"They love it, they come here just excited... I still have kids come up to me and they remember that they went shopping with us and they tell me how they're doing and they're so happy to see us," said Brown.

The shopping trip is December 8th this year, but to make it happen they need contributions from the community.

You can drop off or mail a check to the Rhinelander Police department by December 3rd to help a kid shop with a Cop.

Address envelopes to Chad Brown, Rhinelander Police Department, 201 North Brown Street Rhinelander, WI 54501.
Make checks out to the Rhinelander Professional Police Association, care of Chad Brown.

Story By: Kailey Burton