Battle Ground cops help kids shop for holiday presents

Battle Ground — Battle Ground police spent time Dec. 8 shopping with 18 kids at Walmart as part of the department’s annual Shop with a Cop event. The kids shopped for gifts for their families and for themselves. The kids started the day at the Battle Ground police station for a meet-and-greet before heading to the Battle Ground Walmart in a police vehicle motorcade complete with lights and sirens. They were welcomed to the store by Walmart staff, who provided refreshments for families and a bag of treats for each child. The participating children attend schools in Battle Ground and were nominated for the program by school staff for exemplary citizenship and academic efforts. Each child was granted $125, as much time as they needed to shop with their cop and the assistance of a Walmart store associate. This is the fifth year the department has hosted the program, which was made possible this year thanks to a $2,250 grant through the Walmart Foundation.