Miami Township, Ohio – The “Shop With A Cop” program allows children in the community, selected by the Miami Township Police Department, to shop with a police officer for Christmas gifts for their brothers, sisters or parents. While the program is not designed to allow the child to buy gifts for themselves, the police officers will often allow the child to pick something out if there are funds available.
“The children we select come from backgrounds where, through no fault of their own, they don’t get as much as a typical child in the community,” said Officer Skip Rasfeld, who is the Miami Township Police Department’s Drug Abuse Resistance and Education (DARE) officer in the local schools.
The Miami Township Police Department receives donations from local businesses and residents to help fund the event. About 16 uniform officers donate their time by showing up the night of event and walking the aisles with the children. More than 30 volunteers from the Miami Township Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association and employees from the township also donate their time to wrap the presents for the children to take home.
Officer Rasfeld and the Miami Township Police Department are still seeking donations from businesses and residents for this year’s event.
Every cent of the donations is spent on the children and the department does not set aside any money from the donations for the supplies or administration involved in the program.
All donations should be made payable to the “Miami Township Police Association Shop with a Cop” and mailed to the Miami Township Police Department, 5900 McPicken Drive, Miami Township, OH 45150. Donations can also be dropped off in person. More information about the event can be obtained by calling Officer Rasfeld at (513) 248-3721 or sending an email [email protected].
