‘We earned it’: Regina Cops and Kids event highlights hardworking youths

For 20 Regina students, the Cops and Kids event at the Cornwall Centre was a day they’ll never forget.

The kids, ages eight to 13, got a $200 Cornwall Centre gift card for their Christmas shopping, plus a $200 gift card from the Great Canadian Oil Change for winter gear. The kids were paired with a Regina Police Service officer, who joined them on their shopping sprees.

London Drugs also participated in the event this year, giving each child a care package filled with everyday items like toothbrushes and toiletries.

For Angel, she couldn’t wait to buy a gift for her best friend.

She got a matching necklace to share with her bestie.

Angel was paired with Corporal Anthony Rodier who spoke highly of the little girl.

“Angel’s awesome. She’s really deserving of this,” he said.

“She was nominated by her teachers at the school. I went to the school, and I asked around, and I said, ‘I want a kid that’s really deserving of a fun shopping spree for Christmas,’ and they gave me Angel’s name.”

Angel was surprised when she was chosen, as for her shopping spree, she said it made her feel, “happy and excited.”

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Rodier said she’s been looking forward to the shopping spree for three weeks.

The pair share a lot of laughs, Angel even revealed a hidden talent of Rodier’s.

“He’s a magician,” she said with a giggle.

Rodier said he does magic tricks for the kids all the time, he even performed a few tricks on the limo ride to the mall.

Constable Tim Logan (left) took Shyne (centre) and Kingston (right) to a handful of stores in the Cornwall Centre. The group had a lot of fun. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

One kid named Shyne knew his hard work paid off after he was selected for the shopping spree.

“Because we earned it, (by) being good, and doing school,” he said.

Being kind to his classmates and getting his work done on time is important to Shyne.

He got Pokémon cards but said he can’t wait to trade them with his friends.

Funko Pop!’s were also on his list. He planned to get gifts for his friends and family too.

Kingston is also a Pokémon fan, he got the same deck of cards as Shyne.

Constable Tim Logan said the Cops and Kids event is a special one.

“We like to give back to the community the best that we can, and this is just one of the ways that we do it,” he said.

“Each individual school resource officer has a chance to pick kids. So there’s various kids that we like to pick, and usually, some of the kids are maybe a little bit less fortunate. So then we try to pick those kids out and have them participate in this fun day.”

He said Shyne and Kingston were excellent.

“It’s been a lot of fun chasing them around,” he said laughing. “And figuring out what we could buy for them and stuff, and it’s been really cool.”

Inspector Tim Seiferling and his buddy Hansen had a blast at the Cops and Kids event at the Cornwall Centre. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

Inspector Tim Seiferling and his kid partner Hansen hit the ground running.

Hansen said Seiferling was helping him shop for his friends and family.

Seiferling said the pair had a lot of fun.

“My little buddy here, we’ve had a lot of laughs,” he said. “It’s a great time with them. And we got a lot of good shopping done. It’s a really nice opportunity to spend time together.”

Fifteen of the kids were chosen from The Regina Intersectoral Partnership (TriP) program, which helps youths between the ages of five and 18 stay on the right track. The other five were chosen by their school resource officers.

Lisa Frei (left) and Wendy Stone have been working with TRiP for years. They love seeing kid’s reactions when they arrive at the Cornwall Centre. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

Wendy Stone with TRiP and a crime prevention strategist with the police service, said the event encourages a positive relationship with police.

“(The kids) are building relationships with the officers that they’re with, and it might change their perceptions a little bit on how they actually see and interact with our officers,” she said.

“We understand that the Regina Police Service and our officers are sometimes in the most difficult situations, and in that regard, then are seen not as someone that they can rely on.”

She said the event also shows kids that if they put their minds to a goal, they can achieve it.

The day starts with a limousine ride and cruising through the city. Kids arrive at the Cornwall Centre for a pizza lunch then the shopping begins!

Lisa Frei, coordinator for TRiP said the whole day is meant to make the kids feel special.

“The fact that the limo comes to their school and their peers, and often staff will make a very big deal of it and pick them up starts the day off just on such a positive note,” Frei said. “Lots of kids that don’t get to go in a limo, so that experience in itself.”

Katie Dockham, marketing manager at the Cornwall Centre, said the smiles on the kid’s faces said it all. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

Katie Dockham, marketing manager at the Cornwall Centre, said the smiles on the kid’s faces said it all.

“They come up here and they have this awesome lunch and then they just get to go and spend all their money,” she said. “They’re so happy and they’re thankful, and watching them engage in such a positive way with police officers is such an important piece of this program.”

She said the Cornwall Centre is proud to be a part of the Cops and Kids event.

“We’re at the center of this community for all walks of life, all ages, these kids, their families, the schools, the officers,” she said.

“For us, a big part is partnership and just being a strong community partner, and being a place where everyone feels welcome, and giving something special to these kids during the holiday season that they worked so hard for.”

The program used to be called ‘Cop Shop,’ but it’s now called Cops and Kids.

Dockham said the name change was to ensure it highlighted the important role the kids have in the event.