BUFFALO – Mayor Byron W. Brown and the Buffalo Police Department were pleased to celebrate the
first annual BPD “Shop with a Cop” event, in partnership with the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.
Over 25 children were paired with a Buffalo police officer to sh op for their families for the holidays.
“As we continue to build bridges between police and our community, we want our children to have
positive experiences with law enforcement and that’s just what Shop with a Cop is all about,” said
Mayor Brown. “It’s important that we humanize the people behind the badge and create a positive
relationship between police officers and our children. I thank Buffalo Police for organizing this event
in partnership with the Police Athletic League of Buffalo and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, as
well as other generous donors.”
The Police Athletic League of Buffalo (PAL), which provides a wide range of programming for children
and disadvantaged youth in the Buffalo area, assisted in the selection of the young shoppers. Selection
was mostly based on financial or emotional need.
BPD’s first ‘Shop with a Cop’ event began at 11 am outside the Bethesda World Harvest Church, located
at 1365 Main Street, where shoppers received a chauffeured squad car ride to the Walmart on Walden.
After the shopping adventure, officers and shoppers returned to the church for lunch, gift-wrapping and
other entertainment. The event was funded entirely through donations and support from the Buffalo
Niagara Medical Campus.