Baltimore County Police Host 'Shop with a Cop' on Saturday

As many are rolling out of bed Saturday morning, hundreds of Baltimore County children and police officers will be heading to Cockeysville to do their holiday shopping.

Approximately 110 children will hop in cruisers with 100 police officers from precincts around the county at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, and head to the Cockeysville Walmart for a holiday treat, according to a statement from Baltimore County police.

When they arrive, Dulaney High School students will be there to greet them with holiday music, and so will members of the Optimist Clubs of Baltimore County, which raise money year-round so that each child has $100 to spend.

“The really heartwarming thing is that most of the time, the officers have to basically force these kids to buy something for themselves—they are so intent on buying gifts for their mom, siblings and other relatives, that they spend their whole $100 allotment,” said Baltimore County Police Officer Michael Schmitz, an officer in the Essex precinct who founded the “Shop with a Cop” program in 2001.

After shopping, officers and children have breakfast provided by Outback in Hunt Valley Towne Center.

Related: Officer Shares How Shop with a Cop Was Born in Baltimore County

In addition to spreading joy to disadvantaged children during the holidays, the department embraces the ”Shop with a Cop” program so that kids can get to know their local police, according to the department.

“I remember my first Shop with a Cop buddy, a young boy from a rough neighborhood whose mother was a recovering heroin addict,” Schmitz said.

“He was intent on buying gifts for his younger siblings and his mother,” he continued. “I added some more money to the equation and he bought some things for himself. When we headed back home in the police cruiser that day, I asked him how his day went. I’ll never forget his reply ... ‘It was the best Christmas ever!’ This is what a police officer comes on the job to do—make a positive difference.”

According to the Baltimore County Police Department, its Shop with a Cop program is now in its thirteenth year and is the largest in the state.

Screenshot from YouTube video by Dave Schmitz of 2013 Shop with a Cop event.