Annual Shop with a Cop event starts bright and Early in the Upper Valley

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI)- Not everyone had the ability to sleep in Saturday December 9th, as a parade of lights went down Main Street in Rexburg, where they had breakfast at Madison Junior High. Kids in the cars with their Officer, Deputy, Trooper, agent, or ranger escort even got on the intercom to shout Ho! Ho! Ho! as they went down the street to the few cars in cheering them on.

"This is one of the most special programs we've got, that we that we take part of. And the officers probably have, I would guess, just as much or more fun than the children do," said Assistant Chief Gary Hagen from the Rexburg Police department said.

Something that was echoed by the Rigby Chief of Police Allen Fullmer echoed.

"It is so fun. Just the excitement on the kids face and the ability that they go out and they shop for themselves,'" Chief Fullmer said.

There were over 13 different law enforcement agencies from across the upper valley, from the Federal Level, all the way down, to city level.

"From Rigby North basically to Teton County and Clark County to the west," said Assistant Chief Hagen.

The kids who are participating in the program are chosen months in advance and some have even had previous bad experiences with law enforcement and for the officers and the kids its a chance to offset the bad with a whole lot of good.

"We get recommendations from calls that officers go on or they interact with them at the schools? We also get a lot of recommendations from the school districts or teachers themselves that know that there are some kids that are that are in some need," Assistant Chief Hagen said.

"They have a good positive interaction with the officers and just see the smile on their faces and and the joy...It's amazing," Chief Fullmer said.

The officers and kids were all full of smiles and even had a chance to see Santa.

"It is so fun. Just the excitement on the kids face and the ability that they go out and they shop for themselves," Chief Fullmer said.

"The officers have just as much or more fun than these kids do. And most of these officers are on their time off, you know, and coming to donate their time with these kids. And that to build those relationships and to watch the officers and the kids interact is something amazing," Assistant Chief Hagen.

It wasn't just upper valley agencies in the region, who participated in the program. Agencies from Rigby south also were participating in the event. Chief Fullmer shared that if you wanted to support the program you can.

"This is all funded with donations to shop for the cop and the lead agency as this is in Rexburg, they would take it. Where you would donate or you can get donations to your local agencies. And we take it up and we put it in the fund," Chief Fullmer said.

Shop with a Cop serves as a reminder to everyone kids and adults alike are there to help.