33 foster kids ‘Shop with a Cop’ — PHOTOS

This past Saturday morning, December 20, the Nye County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) hosted its annual “Shop with a Cop” event for kids in foster care. At 8:30 a.m., 33 local foster kids arrived at the VFW Post 10054 on Homestead Rd, accompanied by their 24 deputies (acting as chaperones) for a breakfast of sausage patties and pancakes, provided by the VFW. The children were driven to Walmart in patrol cars with their lights and sirens blasting, where they were allowed to spend $100 each on anything they wanted.

Last year, this program hosted 27 foster kids. “So it’s a few more [foster] kids this year, some the same, some new,” stated Tammy Engel, NCSO’s Supervising Sheriff Administrator and president of the non-profit Friends of the Nye County Sheriff’s Office, which held a fundraiser earlier this month to help finance this event.

Each year, Engel contacts the Division of Child and Family Services (DCSF) for a list of children in foster care in Pahrump. She then contacts each foster parent. “I let them know that their child’s been selected and ask them if this is something that they’re OK with them participating in, and explain the whole process,” explains Engel. “I haven’t had anyone say no.”

The program existed prior to Sheriff Joe McGill’s tenure, but he modified it by exclusively making it for children in foster care. “Those are the kids that don’t necessarily have a lot of things. So we like to get them out, get some positive interaction with law enforcement for them,” McGill explained his strong belief in community policing. He has stated in the past that many of these children have had negative experiences with law enforcement because of their past turbulent family life.

“So, we pick them up at home in the morning. We bring them to breakfast, and then we will get all together at one time, lights and sirens, going to Walmart and take them shopping, and just take over Walmart. It’s a great time,” continued McGill.

For Captain Harry Means, it’s even more personal. “This is super important to me,” he revealed, “As a former foster kid…I believe in it wholeheartedly. I just want to give the kids a positive message. I want to be an example that through hard work, you can improve your situation, you don’t have to be a statistic. This part of your life doesn’t define you.”

Means was accompanied by 12-year old “Jane” (for the sake of privacy, her real name is not used). Jane has been in foster care for three years, and when asked what she thought of this event, she replied, “In my opinion, I think it’s very special, because not lots of kids get to have a perfect life. And I think it makes…their life funner and it makes them feel better about themselves.”

Sergeant Michael Cleveland has volunteered for this event the past three years, “… and I’ll continue to do it as long as I’m here,” he exclaimed. “I love to see the kids’ faces. They’re ecstatic, they’re happy, they just have fun.” Cleveland added that the ride from the VFW to Walmart with all the patrol cars’ lights and sirens going is a highlight for most of the children. “The girl I [chaperoned], she enjoyed it because she got to tell everybody on the PA ‘Merry Christmas’ as we were driving by.”

Aside from toys, it wasn’t uncommon to see that a lot of the kids chose to purchase clothes, shoes, art and school supplies, and even gifts for their biological and/or foster families with their $100. Engel also mentioned that several Walmart customers donated on the spot when they learned what was going on. The growing bond between deputy and their kid(s) was very evident as the event progressed. Several deputies even covered their assigned kid’s overage with their own money.

“Most of the deputies that we have here are not working right now. They’re doing this for free. They volunteer. So, the deputies really are the ones that deserve the credit for this,” McGill added. McGill and Engel also acknowledged the support for this program by NextEra Energy, Pahrump Wash Company, the VFW and Walmart.

John Clausen is a freelance reporter living in Pahrump.