Clearwater Police Department holds annual 'Shop with a Cop' event

CPD hosts shop with a cop event

FOX 13's Kailey Tracy spent the morning with local law enforcement as they gave back to the community by spreading holiday cheer to kids.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Christmas came early for 40 children thanks to the Clearwater Police Department's annual Shop with a Cop event.

The kids were paired up with Clearwater police officers or other police department employees at the Target on Gulf to Bay Boulevard.

Clearwater Police Department's annual Shop with a Cop event.

"I love Christmas," Corporal Melody Phelps said. "It's my favorite holiday and I love spreading Christmas cheer. So, it's awesome to be festive and to get these kids happy and excited for the holiday season," she said.

Each child had about $250 to spend thanks to donations from the police department, Cory’s Hope Foundation and Target’s Heroes and Helpers. The officers said it’s a special event every year, but especially this year after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

"A lot of families were impacted through the series of storms we had, and, you know, some parents may have lost their jobs," Chief Eric Gandy said. "Some have lost their homes," he said.

"It's one thing to see a kid pick up a bunch of toys and electronic games and things like that. But when you see a kid with a cart full of comforters and pajamas and essentials, I think that's really heartwarming and a little bit sad at the same time. But at least through the contributing efforts of everybody involved, this happened," Chief Gandy said.

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"It’s very humbling because one of the apartments here in the city of Clearwater got flooded out. So, a lot of those families have been displaced. Even my kid right here, he picked out some pajamas and a robe. And so, it is very humbling when you have your own kids to see what these kids are picking out," Corporal Phelps said.

Some of the kids shopping on Saturday lived in the nearby Standard Apartments. First responders rescued more than 500 people from the complex during Hurricane Milton. Many families lost almost everything.

"Having seen that at the onset and throughout the course of that recovery effort, we know that some of the kids that are here today from the Standard are still in shelters. So, it's a big deal and really important to us to kind of close that loop and hopefully give them some closure," Chief Gandy said.

Clearwater Police Department's annual Shop with a Cop event.

"A lot of them are still living in shelters," Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector said. "They're not even in their homes yet. So, to help continue to help them through this, we have many hurricane survivors. And these Standard Apartment residents are certainly one of the most impacted in all of the region," Mayor Rector said.

Parents said Saturday’s event was a weight lifted off their shoulders.

"This was like such like a financial relief for me because, you know, preparing for two storms pretty much back-to-back kind of destroyed my finances," Richelle Becknel, a mother of one of the children who shopped with a cop Saturday, said.

"We’re actually going to have a good Christmas because I can put my money towards other things now besides struggling to get toys," Becknel said.

Clearwater Police Department’s community engagement team worked with schools and other partners in the community to identify families in need for Saturday’s event.

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