Landon holds up a package containing a toy police car to show Deputy Scott Robb during the annual shop with a cop event Thursday afternoon in Chehalis.
Rob Snaza poses with Santa Claus during the annual shop with a cop event Thursday afternoon in Chehalis.
Corrections Deputy Andrew Yocom smiles as Jai'aunna, 8, holds up a miniature toy shopping cart during the annual shop with a cop event Thursday afternoon in Chehalis.
Deputy Chis Sweet smiles as Kalloden, 10, holds up his favorite toys during the annual shop with a cop event Thursday afternoon in Chehalis.
Rob Snaza poses with Santa Claus during the annual shop with a cop event Thursday afternoon in Chehalis.
Deputy Ezra Anderson smiles as Gage, talks about the boots he's buying for his grandpa during the annual shop with a cop event Thursday afternoon in Chehalis.
Corrections Deputy Kevin Schultz shows Gwendolyn, 11, how to pose with a football during the annual shop with a cop event Thursday afternoon in Chehalis.
Deputy Sam Schouten smiles as Andres, 7, holds up a toy dinosaur during the annual shop with a cop event Thursday afternoon in Chehalis.
Deputy Bill Radtke holds up a unicorn Jaden, 11, bought for his sister during the annual shop with a cop event Thursday afternoon in Chehalis.
It resembled a shoplifter’s worst nightmare: Well over 30 uniformed deputies and the sheriff gathered in front of customer service at the Chehalis Walmart Thursday evening.
But they hadn’t been dispatched there on a major call, nor were they surveying for ne’er-do-wells. They were there for the kickoff of the sheriff’s office’s 17th annual Shop with a Cop.
Thirty-three local kids between the ages of 8 and 18 got the chance to join up with a deputy and do some Christmas shopping for their family.
Special Services Chief Dusty Breen said each kid was allotted $40 per family member including him or herself, and they had a list with gift suggestions for each. When they were done, they went back to the sheriff’s office for a wrapping party.
“This is just a great opportunity and time of the year where the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office can give back to our community and make a positive difference in people’s lives who are less fortunate than others, and I know it means a lot to every single individual to be able to do this,” said Sheriff Rob Snaza, moments before hamming it up for a photo or two with Santa.
Breen said the United Way of Lewis County received applications for the event and is placed in charge of picking the kids. The sheriff’s office buys additional gifts for families that were not selected, and they’ll be delivered later, he said.
Funding for the event comes through donations.
As deputies were assigned a kid, they took a cart and off they went. Although scattered throughout the cavernous store, the pairs were numerous and easy to pick out among other shoppers — given the uniform and pint-sized cohort in tow.
Deputy Ezra Andersen and 9-year-old Gage were picking out a gift for Gage’s grandpa. Gage was a little nervous, he said, because he doesn’t often shop with people outside his family. But, he was pretty amped about getting to shop with an actual cop, and got to meet some new friends already.
“Days like this are very important,” said Andersen. “… Usually you only see us when stuff has gone sideways, or become very public. What they don’t see is our day-to-day interactions where we’re trying to help people and make people’s days go better.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Scott Robb and 8-year-old Landon were in the toy section. Gage had commandeered control of the cart, but Robb said he seemed to know where everything was, so it was an efficient set-up.
“When I first became an officer, this is one of the events I look forward to the most just to see …” Robb started saying, when Landon gasped in excitement. “That,” Robb finished.
Landon was briefly distraught to learn a bike and a drone would push his spending limit over the edge by a pretty large sum, but he quickly recovered.
“Wait until you get a load of this,” he exclaimed about a car modeled after “The Fast and the Furious” movie franchise.
Breen said they would be leaving the store after the shopping was done, and have a party at the sheriff’s office. Gifts would be wrapped and pizza and soda would be consumed.
Snaza chimed in, saying some of the kids are often shy at first (the ones interviewed by The Chronicle for this story did not match that description), but after some cookies and soda, the party would really get pumping.
Snaza also said they would play BINGO and raffle off some prizes, including new bicycles.
