Lehigh's Police Department Sponsors "Shop With a Lehigh Cop" Program to Help South Side Working Families During Holidays

On December 6, 2009, the Lehigh University Police Officers will treat several families to breakfast with Santa and holiday shopping at Wal-Mart, as well as a complimentary turkey dinner gift basket from Ahart's Market. Families are selected by South Side clergy based on need. Local merchants Wal-Mart and Ahart's Market, along with Windish Hall, Sodexho Dining Services, Majestic Sportswear, G & L Sign Factory and the Crayola Factory help sponsor the program.

"Shop with a Lehigh Cop" is a program where children are afforded the chance to spend a special day with Lehigh police officers and make the holidays a little brighter.

Above: "Shop With a Lehigh Cop 2008" Lehigh University Police officers, volunteers, and children of the program pose with Wal-Mart staff.

"The Shop with a Lehigh Cop program is a way for us to give back to the community," says Chief Edward Shupp, chief of the Lehigh University Police Department. "Service and good relations with the citizens of the South Side are important and this is a way that we can help build the relationships so that kids learn that police officers are allies, not enemies."

Above: Cpl. Jim Connell takes a willing Shop with a Cop participant shopping at Wal-Mart for Christmas gifts.

Click here to see more photographs from Shop with a Lehigh Cop 2008.