Shop With A Cop Is Back In Natrona County For 2025

Halloween decorations have been in stores since August, while Fall decorations have been on display since July. The Pumpkin Spice craze seems to be getting earlier and earlier each year, and we skip past Thanksgiving to jump right into Christmas.

I'm with you, it gets a little bit crazy the way the seasons impact businesses so much. One thing I'll never snub my nose at is doing stuff for the kids during the holiday seasons.

The Oak Ridge Boys sang it best in the 1982 classic, 'Thank God For Kids.'

If it weren't for kids have you ever thought, there wouldn't be no Santa Claus

That's why I think it's impactful to keep the spirit of Christmas alive. It doesn't matter your beliefs or where your Santa comes from; the smile on the face of kids is worth every minute.

Enter the Natrona County 'Shop with a Cop' program.

Officers, deputies, and law enforcement staff from around Natrona County come together to provide kids, who may not have the same opportunities as others, with a positive experience to purchase gifts for themselves and their family members for Christmas. To add to the experience, they are being assisted in their shopping by a member of Law Enforcement.

As a child of a retired police officer, not everyone has a high opinion of the police, and it's unfortunate. I'll go out on a limb and say that if you were to ask an officer why they chose their career path, they'd likely say to impact the community and to protect and serve.

The Shop with a Cop program is one of those programs that show how much they care for the community and gives kids a positive experience to hopefully change any ill feelings they have toward the police.

This year's Shop with a Cop program's application process has begun. You have until October 15, 2025, to get your kid(s) registered to get the chance to spend a day in December with a cop, shopping for gifts for their family.

Children must be 3-12 years old to participate.
Family resides in Natrona County.
Child must be able to separate from families while shopping.
Child must be present on the shopping day in order to receive a gift card.
Please be aware of the October 27th family notification date to ensure you receive confirmation and important participation information if selected.
A committee will make selections from the applications based on information received through applications. Families who have not participated before will be given priority, however all applications will be given serious consideration. Given the popularity of the program, we may have more applicants than openings.

You can get your kids registered here: https://www.natronacounty-wy.gov/889/2025-Shop-with-a-Cop