Representatives of 21 law enforcement agencies in Berks County recently converged on Boscov’s North in Muhlenberg Township for Crime Alert Berks County’s annual Shop with a Cop event.
Twenty-eight elementary school-age children representing most of the districts in the county were paired with an officer to shop for their family members for the Dec. 13 event. The children were referred to the program, which is coordinated by Crime Alert Vice President Chris Nein, by their school principal who felt they could use a little help this Christmas.
Cumru Township police Officer Leon Grim, a member of the Crime Alert advisory board, coordinated the law enforcement participation. More men and women from law enforcement volunteered to join the fun than could be included in this year’s event, he said.
Participants included representatives of the state police and the Berks County sheriff’s office.
Everyone met in the training room of the store for a catered dinner.
A highlight was the arrival of Santa Claus and the Philly Phanatic mascot aboard a Muhlenberg Fire & Rescue ladder truck.
Each child was provided with a $100 gift card, funded evenly by Boscov’s and Crime Alert.
Grim said many of the officers use their own funds to help children buy more gifts or a gift for themselves after they’ve exhausted the gift card.
Started 17 years ago, Crime Alert’s Shop with a Cop remains a popular spin-off program for the all-volunteer crime-fighting organization, Grim said. The group’s main mission is to raise funds to pay rewards for tips that lead to arrests for crimes ranging from vandalism to murder.
Source: Berkshire mont
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