Maquoketa Shop with a Cop

The Maquoketa Police department with the Maquoketa Optimist club did the annual shop with a cop event on Thursday. This year the Maquoketa Police Department was able to help 12 kids from Maquoketa this year. In the past they’ve been able to help as many as 30 kids in a single year. They have discovered that a 1 to 1 ratio works the best. 

When did shop with a cop start and how did it begin nationally, well in 1989 a group of cops decided to pass a hat around with kids names to take shopping for gifts and toys. Locally in Maquoketa the program began around 2001 with Retired Maquoketa Police Chief Bob Anderson. 

Once the Police Department decides on how many kids to shop for, they then reach out to the Maquoketa Schools to figure out who to invite. They have recently asked the schools to pick a kid in grades 3rd, 4th or 5th as younger kids might not want to leave without mom or dad. 

Each year with partnership with the Maquoketa Optimist Club volunteers, they help wrap the gifts that they bought. In the past few years  Todd Wiese of TJ’s stockings has been donating stockings with treats for the kids. Walmart also hosts the event and helps them as needed. 

They have also received monetary  donations for this event from clubs, businesses, groups, and citizens. Well they are not required, they do accept them. They are very appreciative of the donations they receive and are also very grateful for the associates of Walmart for helping out with the event. 

For the past two years the Preston Police Department and Easton Valley School District has joined us in the Shop with a Cop event.  That community has begun to sponsor a handful of kids each year.  Instead of doing one themselves they join the Maquoketa Team on the evening of their event to have one large group of Officers and kids. 

Just another way to make sure kids have a great Christmas!