Meijer in Warsaw was crowded Thursday evening.
There were lots of kids, many cops, plenty of laughs and more than a little confusion over different clothing sizes. Such is to be expected during the annual Christmas With A Cop event.
Christmas With A Cop, put on every year by the Kosciusko County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 149, allows local children and their families to shop around the store for new toys and clothes. FOP also provided a snack table with chips, cookies and juice for participants to enjoy, and there were opportunities for photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
There were 171 kids signed up for the event this year, up from 166 last year. Each received $120, with the goal of spending at least half of it on new clothes.
“It’s about helping the family,” said FOP Lodge 149 President Ryan Moore. “You know how kids are. They don’t want to spend their money on a pair of boots or gloves, but we try to help them out so they’re prepared for the wintertime.”

    A child picks out a unicorn plushie with Milford Police Department officer Tyler Schmucker. Photo by Lilli Dwyer, InkFreeNews
  

Rather than going through an application process, kids are nominated for Christmas With A Cop by adults in their community.
“We reach out to the Warsaw Community Schools, Head Start and CPS and ask them whom they know to be in need of help,” said Warsaw Police Department Det. Sgt. Jeff Ticknor.
FOP raises money for the event over the course of the year through several different means, including an annual golf outing. Donations also come from organizations and individuals around the area.
“We’ve got such a great community that supports this,” said Kosciusko County Sheriff Jim Smith. “That’s why we were able to do it.”
Smith, who has been participating in Christmas With A Cop since his reserve officer days in the early 2000s, said that the children are what keeps him coming back year after year.
“Generally speaking, most officers have a soft spot for the kiddos,” he remarked, and cited a few other benefits. “It’s an opportunity for kids to see officers in a positive light. And let’s be honest, most of us officers are just as much kids as the ones that we’re shopping with. We have fun with it.”
Indeed, the joy of Christmas seemed to be spreading everywhere, from officers to kids alike, as participants added gifts their families might not have otherwise been able to afford to their carts.
“It’s a great turnout from all agencies,” Smith went on. “It’s neat, the camaraderie, to see all the different agencies: dispatchers, jailers, Warsaw Police Department, State Police, Sheriff’s Office. It’s neat to see everyone all here joining together for a good cause.”