CityView Magazine

44 | November/December 2015 giving Protect AND Serve Community policing staff serves holiday cheer BY KELLIE GENTRY HUSSMANN T he Cumberland County Sheriff 's department will host its 20th annual 'Shop with a Sheriff ' program on December 5. Police officers and vol- unteers will flood the Ramsey Street Walmart parking lot for an eventful day of holiday shopping for fami- lies in need. "ere are a lot of people running around, so it's a little chaotic, but it's fun," said Lt. Shawna Leake. Lt. Leake and her community policing staff host events, such as neighborhood watch programs, crisis intervention, search and rescue and bike and regular patrols, for the com- munity year-round, but boast the Shop with a Sheriff pro- gram as their largest outreach. Every year, the program serves between 30 to 35 fami- lies, providing 140 to 160 school-aged children throughout Cumberland County with basic needs and toys for Christ- mas. Officers and volunteers are partnered with a deserving family to shop, but all who participate agree that the kids aren't the only ones who are affected. "It's just been a great program, for this office and for the deputies personally," expressed Lt. Leake. Sergeant Demetrio Perez, a supervisor for the school resource officers at the north side schools in Cumberland County, has been serving at the event for many years. "It's what we look forward to every December," said Sgt. Perez. "Believe it or not, this is what we like to do." He interacts with elementary through high school stu- dents each day and he says while it's important for he and his staff to build a rapport with the students, the Shop with a Sheriff program goes beyond that. Photos by Sharilyn Wells Sgt. Perez Lt. Leake

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