Parsons’ “Shop with a Cop” tradition enjoys yearly success
Sunday December 17, 2023, marked another year that the Parsons Police were able to provide a little Christmas cheer to the community with the Annual Shop with a Cop Program.
The Parsons Police were able to provide an opportunity to shop with 30 children from the community. The partnership with USD 503 provides identification of children and families in need while the support from the local community provides the funds and the means to help. The continued support from The Duke Mason Band who does a yearly Christmas Concert and donates the proceeds to the program along with the personal donations from community members provides the means of helping. The department also gets donations yearly from St. Vincent DePaul and a great partnership with Walmart for their donations and support for the program.
Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks said, “We are gearing up for next year which will mark the tenth year the department has been able to help families and children of the community. This program is one of the most important opportunities that we get to really reach out and interact with children of the community in a truly positive manner. This really helps the public’s perception of law enforcement as well as connecting officers with the future of our community. It’s like planting seeds of positivity and we just wait to see them grow a little each year.”
The Parsons Police Department also partners with other agencies to help with the shopping event. “This has become so large it is too much for just our staff to handle alone,” according to Deputy Chief Dennis Dodd. “We reach out to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Labette County Sheriff’s Office, Altamont Police Department as well as inviting our brothers from the Parsons Fire Department to help us spread blessings throughout the community.”
Next year the department will be trying to make the event even larger to help even more families if possible. Donations are taken throughout the year and are used for this event and to help families during the holiday season. Chief Spinks has a vision for the Parsons Police Department to set an example for other agencies statewide, encouraging them to prioritize community support. He reiterated the department’s philosophy of being “Guardians” to the public, showcasing the program as a tangible embodiment of this core ideology.