Shop with a Cop was once again a hit, helping 15 families who needed a little extra holiday cheer this season.
The young participants were selected from local youth programs.
“It was really nice because I got to spend time with my family,” said 14-year-old Fabiola Torres. “And now I’m having this experience with my siblings where I could work with them to find something that my parents would like for Christmas.
The families spent their entire evening with Watsonville Police officers & staff. They all got to know each other over dinner and then went shopping together at Target.
“The best thing is to be able to see that they can purchase gifts,” explained Watsonville Police Captain Jorge Zamora.
Zamora said the holiday outing also helps strengthen the relationship between the police and community members because it allows them to “engage in a way that we would with our family members and that’s what makes it so special.”
Torres said she had a great time finding the perfect gift for her parents and getting to meet some of the men and women in blue.
“I got to meet them and I got to see their actual personality,” said Torres. “Because all I really get to see from them is like the serious ‘oh I’m going to put you in jail’ but then I actually got to meet them and they were actually really nice and really talkative.”
Seventeen officers and 30 volunteers helped make Shop with the Cop a successful event.