More than 15 Warsaw Police Department officers gathered at Meijer off U.S. 30 Thursday night to participate in the department’s first “Cops Helping Kids” event. The department worked with area schools to identify more than 15 children in need this holiday season and invited the kids and their families to join the officers at Meijer to shop for needed items and even a few special gifts for the kids this holiday season. Before the shopping started, the kids and their families were invited to eat pizza and cookies provided by the department and were then paired with a WPD officer to do their shopping. WPD Officer Doug Light, who also acts as a DARE officer, said 12 DARE students from Lakeview Middle School also volunteered to be a part of the event, assisting the officers and children while shopping. The students also participate in the National Junior Honor Society and are often involved in community events. “This is a good experience for them,” Light said. Light said though it is the first year the department has organized the event, he is excited to continue to build on the program in the following years. “It’s pretty spectacular,” he said. “It’s pretty overwhelming.”
