Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Kops for Kids komes to Prescott

A group of area children will get a treat Monday, Dec. 20, when they go shopping with a local police officer.

Kelli Lee, the newest officer with the Prescott Police Department, is brining Kops for Kids to Prescott. She began the program last year in Lewisville where she was an officer and took more than 15 children shopping to buy Christmas presents.

Lee has been working to collect donations for this project, and as of Friday, Dec. 10, had collected about $1,800. For each $100 collected, another child gets to go shopping, she said.

The children will be selected by school counselors based on certain criteria. Lee said the children must be good students and good citizens as well as being needy. Those selected will go to Fred's at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 20 to do their shopping. They can spend the money any way they choose.

What will make this more of a treat for the children, all of whom will be shopping with a different officer, is they will be taken to Fred's in a police car with the lights and sirens blaring, Lee said.

Chief Sam Reeder lauded Lee for bringing the Kops for Kids program to Prescott, saying it's a good way for local children to get to know the police officers and know they can rely on them.

Businesses, Lee said, can call the PPD or Fred's to make a donation until Saturday, Dec. 18.

When asked how this came about, Lee said, "They have a similar program in Texarkana and I thought it would be good to have here. This area is rural and people don't always get much help for their children at Christmas. This puts children in a positive light and introduces them to police officers. It's a positive interaction between children and police and helps build relationships."

According to Lee, those who have made donations to date include: State Sen. Percy Malone, State Rep. Tommy Roebuck, Judge Gene Hale and Hines Trucking. Congressman Mike Ross will also be contacted for a donation, as will all of the local civic clubs. Additionally, she said, donation jars have been placed in businesses around town so people can drop their donation in them.

"I'm going to call the Prescott High School band and see if it can play while the children shop," Lee said. "I'm also going to try to get the choir to do caroling.

Lee's list will be compared to the list for the Picayune Toy Drive. In order to insure the most children possible will be helped, the children participating in the Kops for Kids program will be removed from the Picayune's list.