Shop with Cops

Shop with Cops is a program in the Summit-University and Frogtown communities that partners young kids who have experienced police officers in a negative light with St. Paul police officers, who help them shop for their family members for Christmas.

It has long been noted that relationships between the police department and the Frogtown and Summit-University communities, particularly the communities of color in these two communities, have been very strained. The initial intent of the program was to address the issue of repairing and making these strained relationships better. The effects of the program are multi-faceted. Shop with Cops hopes to break down the barriers between the community and the police with the intent of developing a better and more trusting relationship.

In 2000, its first year in operation over 50 kids and 15 officers were involved. During the 2009 event, Shop with Cops had 213 kids participating and over 107 officers from St Paul Police Department volunteer their time.