By Sylvia Benavidez
ADPS Officer Chandler Barney loves kids and when Albion Department of Public Safety Interim Chief Aaron Phipps asked Barney and Det. Billy Lazarus to join him for Calhoun County Shop with a Cop in Battle Creek, Barney didn’t hesitate. For Phipps and Barney, this was their first time participating in the program. It was started about 12 years ago by a Michigan State Trooper and an Emmett Township Police Department director.
The centerpiece of the event invites children between 6 and 12 years of age recommended by the county’s department of social services to shop at a store, in this case Walmart, with law enforcement from all over the county for their holiday needs. For the sake of this interview, we will identify the child Barney was with as Quinn.
“There were 65 kids this year and they got a Walmart gift card to shop that was $120.00. Quinn found a few more toys after he reached the limit that I didn’t have the heart to tell him no, so I contributed about $60.00 to make up the difference.” Officers from other departments are known to do that too.
Some participating this year included the Battle Creek Police Department, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department, Michigan State Police and the Calhoun County Mounted Unit as well as ADPS. Barney shared that it was as much fun for him as it was for Quinn. “I had a lot of fun and I know the other officers did too,” he said.
Despite all of his previous experience around children, he said in an interview there were times his professional observational skills were tested while in the store. “Quinn was a fast and an active little guy. He was so excited that he kept racing around the store so fast. I had to make sure I kept up with him. I didn’t want to be the first officer to lose the child they were shopping with in the store,” he said.
Many of the children at the event don’t have some of their basic needs met, so the officers and children are encouraged to also shop with that in mind. Barney said Quinn’s mother was grateful for the opportunity for her child and asked him to make sure he got a winter coat or snow suit. “We tried and looked all over the store but couldn’t find anything in his size,” he said.
Even though the encounter is brief, officers who have participated in the program in the past have shared that they run into kids in town or at public events like parades and that they remember them. Barney believes it is important for both the officers involved and the kids. “They get to see us in a new light. Often as officers, kids and their parents don’t see us under the best of circumstances, but here they do and we get to have a positive experience with the kids and their families.”
The day starts with the officers having breakfast at Woodland Church in Battle Creek with the kids but then moves toward getting them to Walmart. “We got numbers that paired us up with the child who would be shopping with us. Then we loaded them up on a bus. I thought that part was so important because the kids will remember that officers thought they were so important we escorted them to the store. I think that is important for the community to see that too, that we think their children are important and we want to keep them safe.”
Shop with a Cop doesn’t end with buying the items. The children are escorted back to Woodland Church to get their presents wrapped and for games. Barney explained, “There was face painting, games, and Chick-fil-A brought their sandwiches for lunch. We were running around from one activity to the other.”
Volunteers from all over the county help to make the event possible from officers’ spouses, to teenagers, sports groups, to church volunteers help to run the games, wrap presents, and do the face painting. Battle Creek Transit provides the buses and drivers. Funds are overseen by the Battle Creek Community Foundation.
What Barney values most about participating is watching how the focus is on completely on the kids. Asked if he would participate again, he said, “Absolutely.”Courtesy photos:Cut 4052 Albion Department Public Safety Officer Chandler Barney participated with Shop with a Cop for the first time. He is standing with his fellow shopper, who for the sake of privacy we will identify as Quinn, in front of the Walmart.Cut 4127 Detective Billy Lazarus is a pro at shopping with the kids at Shop with a Cop having participated in the program previously.Cut 4042 Interim Albion Department of Public Safety Chief Aaron Phipps enjoyed his first time at Shop with a Cop too. He and ADPS officer Chandler Barney were the two new participants of the three officers that went to the event.
