This year marks the 17th consecutive year that the department has paired officers up with children from the community to go on a shopping spree and spend some time getting to know each other.  

“Our department is very fortunate to have the support of our community for this wonderful program,” says Roseville Police Chief Erika Scheider. “Shop with a Cop is a great opportunity for our officers to build positive relationships with the younger members of our community and their families.”

How it works 

Each year, the department looks to invite children from recent cases who could particularly benefit from a positive interaction with officers. “Unfortunately, there are occasions when a child’s first or only interaction with police officers is from an incident involving a family member,” says long-time Shop with a Cop veteran Officer Erin Reski. “Shop with a Cop affords us the chance to leave positive and lasting impressions with community members.”  When there aren’t enough participants from recent police incidents, the department reaches out to various community partners, including area schools and faith communities.  

After shopping together, the officers and their new partners return to the Roseville Skating Center to wrap the presents and finish the evening with a pizza party and lots of treats.  

“It’s fun to see their comfort level with our officers increase as the night progresses,” adds Chief Scheider. “Trust is an important component in public safety and events like this help to make our community stronger.”  

The Shop with a Cop program is made possible through financial and in-kind donations from the community. Donations for Shop with a Cop can be dropped off or mailed to the Roseville Police Department.

c/o Shop with a Cop,
2660 Civic Center Dr
Roseville, MN 55113

For more details about the program, please contact the department directly at police@cityofroseville.com or 651-792-7008.