75 area kids get "Shop with a Cop" this holiday season

GREENFIELD -- Shopping this time of year is a pain for some people. But for 75 area kids, it was a most memorable experience. The kids were accompanied by about a dozen area police agencies at the annual "Shop with a Cop" event Saturday.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke brought the idea to Milwaukee in 2007. Local businesses sponsored the shopping spree which gives each kid $100 to spend on gifts for their families. Clarke says officers benefit from the experience as much as the kids.

"It gives law enforcement officers a chance to interact with kids in a way they don't normally get to do so," Clarke said, "The nature of our work, a lot of it is negative, even with young people but we get to see a side of them and they get to see a (different) side of us and you can tell."

The morning began with breakfast in Brookfield. After shopping at the Greenfield Wal-Mart, the kids rode back to the Pieper Boys and Girls club for pizza and gift-wrapping.