Story Photos
 Longview police Capt. Dan Jacobs helps Cheyanne Horimoto select a present for her sister Friday morning during the first Longview Shop with a Cop program.
Photo by Roger Werth / The Daily News
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Kids 'Shop with a Cop'
Saturday, December 22, 2007 6:09 AM PST
By Barbara LaBoe
Printable version
E-mail this articleLongview police Officer Chris Trevino called out an all points bulletin Friday morning at the Longview Wal-Mart -- but he wasn't looking for a suspect.
Instead Trevino, and his new friend Alexis Weiser, 9, were on the hunt for a baton.
"I'm thinking one with glitter on it," Trevino solemnly explained to a clerk.
"Yeah," chimed in Alexis, a huge smile on her face.
Trevino and Alexis were one of 20 officer-child combos who fanned out through the store early Friday in the first ever Longview Shop with a Cop program. The nationwide event pairs up officers with low-income children to help shop for Christmas presents. It's been done in Lewis County for six years, but this is the first time in Longview, said organizer Chaplain Steve White.
Each child, selected by Youth-Family Link and St. Helens Elementary School, got $60 donated through a combination of $1,000 from Wal-Mart and $200 from the Longview Police Benefit Association. They also got the expert advice of officers on everything from stuffed animals to slippers. Shoppers gaped at seeing so many uniformed police in the building, and others laughed as the officers patrolled the girls' pink and purple toy aisles with their charges.
"We bought a lot of dolls," explained Capt. Jim Duscha. "But I have a daughter and I remember the doll age."
Nine-year-old Cheyanne Horimoto, who quickly snapped up a bright pink High School Musical sleeping bag, said her favorite part of the event was watching her officer, Capt. Dan Jacobs, run into things with the cart.
"You weren't supposed to tell people that," a laughing Jacobs said as he gave her good-bye hug.
Such interactions are one of the keys of the program -- to give children a chance to interact with officers in a fun and friendly way instead of fearing or resenting them, White said.
The children were free to use all the money for themselves, but many also bought gifts for their families.
Alex Quintana, 10, shopping with Officer Chris Angel, proudly displayed the gifts for his sister and grandmother. And Alexis selected items for her mother, father, brother and uncle.
"Holy cow!," she exclaimed when Trevino found the perfect color and type of toy she wanted for her brother. "He will love that!"
After scouring the store, though, Trevino and Alexis failed to track down a baton, which is apparently a spring and summer seasonal toy.
Undaunted, Alexis was soon the proud owner of an Easy Bake oven. And when she didn't have quite enough to buy the special heart-shaped cookie mixes to go with it, Trevino kicked in the extra $4.
"I can make some cookies for Santa!" Alexis exclaimed to a round of chuckles from cops and clerks.
"This is what Christmas is all about," said a beaming chaplain White. "Hopefully we can expand it next year."
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