On Sunday morning, middle school students tagged along with Dallas police officers for a shopping spree at NorthPark Center’s Under Armour store. Nancy Lieberman Charities organized and ran the “Shop with a Cop” event.
According to KRLD News Radio, the “Shop with a Cop” program was established in 2019 and is now an annual event. Lieberman created this program to “ease distrust towards those who wear a badge,” CBS DFW stated.
Lieberman said, “We just want the kids to feel like they are supported and that they’re cared for, and they have their basic needs met.”
Lieberman’s son T.J. Cline said, “It’s good for them to get a one-on-one interaction and understand each cop and each kid are different.”
The students involved with Sunday’s Shop with a Cop program were chosen by showing good behavior and “based on their need” from Robert T. Hill Middle School. At Under Armour, they had a gift card with a $250 balance.
When children go a little over their budget, there are times where the men and women in uniform will pay the difference.
Dallas Police Department Assistant Chief Angela Shaw stated, “Our officers do, out of their own pocket, pay the difference at times to be able to allow the child to take home everything they’re looking to get,” and added, “It is beyond words. It’s indescribable, and it’s just as enjoyable for us as it is for the kids.”
Shaw is hoping the Shop with a Cop program will show the children that the uniforms that police officers wear do not show who they are every day. They are also moms and dads looking to “build a personal connection” with them through this shopping experience. She also mentioned that the officers look forward to this event and be there with the children to buy what they want and need.
