Meeker Police Officer Justin Yates launched Meeker Police Department’s “Shop with a Cop” event in 2019. Each year, the Department applies for a Walmart grant, which provides the funding to take Rio Blanco County children shopping for their families. Children can be nominated by school, parents, officers, or anyone who thinks it would benefit the child or their family.
Children that are selected are asked to bring a list of items they hope to find. On the day of the event, each child is paired with a police officer who assists them during their shopping, helping ensure nothing on their list is forgotten. After the purchases are made, Walmart and Police Department employees wrap and label the gifts so children can return home with presents ready for their families. In addition, each family receives a gift card for a family meal, provided by the Police Department. Walmart has always provided all the materials to wrap the gifts and makes sure the children and their families have goodies to fuel them during the event. This year, Walmart also invited Santa and Mrs. Claus to attend the event as well. This was a wonderful addition. They took photos and printed them for each child while they shopped.
In more recent years, we have invited the Sheriff’s Office Deputies and Colorado State Patrol Troopers to join our event, allowing even more children to participate.
From left to right top row: CSP Trooper Eric DiBenedetto; Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office – Jeremy Muxlow, Will Pena, Travis Mobley; Meeker PD – Chief Ed Thompson and Lieutenant Tom Dietrich; bottom row: Meeker PD – Beth Ridgeway, Officer Yates, CSO Melissa Fellows.
