News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Sparta Police Department and the Sparta-White County YMCA are hosting their annual Shop with a Cop event to help underprivileged families with Christmas shopping.
Sparta Police Department Assistant Chief Brent Copeland said police will go to the YMCA to play with kids while the parents go to a local store to purchase Christmas gifts for their children with funds provided by the officers. Copeland said the department holds the event every year because there are always families who need assistance.
“Unfortunately the way things are going there are several families out there that are not able to provide a good Christmas for these kids,” Copeland said. “And for us, that’s kind of a way the Sparta Police Department can give back to the community.”
Copeland said the department raises funds for the event with a motorcycle ride and that each year more sponsors and people are donating more money. Copeland said Shop with a Cop not only provides a great Christmas for families in need but also creates positive interactions with kids and law enforcement.
“They see a lot of bad things on the news and things like that on TV all the time and media,” Copeland said. “It puts a bad light onto the law enforcement aspect of it but this kind of more humanizes us and lets them realize that hey we are just fun and we are just normal people and we just got a job to do.”
Copeland said the department has not only helped families in need but also opened the eyes to others about some families who are currently struggling in White County.
“We are getting positive feedback not only from the families who participate in this but actually the citizens and the people that actually see what we are doing,” Copeland said. “It also brings light to the underprivileged children and families that are out here in our community that people overlook.”
Copeland said oftentimes in a small community like Sparta and White County there are often families who struggle to make ends meet and are overlooked. If your family needs assistance this holiday season please call the Sparta Police Department at (931) 836-3734 and the department will be able to guide you through the process of requesting assistance through Shop with a Cop.
