Kids shop with cops to find the perfect gift in Pickering Town Centre

Durham Police helped 26 children find the perfect gift in the Pickering Town Centre in their 16th annual Cop Shop event on December 8. DRPS released a statement on December 24 celebrating the success of the event.

Officers returned in full force this year after the program was altered for 2020. Last December saw an swift rise in COVID-19 cases, much like that seen now, that forced the restrictions.

In 2021 however, officers and students were able to squeeze in the event before the COVID-19 Omicron variant sent case numbers back to last year’s Christmastime peak.

For each event, DRPS chooses several children based on their need, academic achievement, sport performance and volunteer efforts.

The selected youth are partnered with an officer and the pair get to know each other as they scour the Pickering Town Centre for gifts for the kids and their families. Each young one was gifted a $200 gift card from the mall to shop with.

The East Side Mario’s Pickering Town Centre donated a pizza lunch to the kids and their chaperones before they went off to find their presents.

The event began in the Halifax Shopping Centre years ago and spread to 11 malls across Canada since.

Chief Todd Rollauer and Deputy Chief Joseph Maiorano were at the mall to thank the officers, Pickering Town Centre and East Side Mario’s for their help in the event.

Durham Police as a whole also extended their gratitude to those involved, especially to event organizer Cst. Robin Roychoudhury.