Regina students enjoy holiday shopping spree in annual police initiative

Regina police join students to shop for gifts WATCH: Some members of the Regina Police Service joined a group of students in search of the perfect gifts. Mick Favel has the story.

A group of Regina students were specially selected for a shopping spree with a Regina Police officer for the holiday season.

Cops + Kids, now in it’s eighth year, is a program which rewards children who have worked hard and made positive strides towards specific goals they have set out for themselves over the past year.

Twenty students in total were able to able to take the day away from the classroom Wednesday and spend time at the Cornwall Centre.

Chief of the Regina Police Service (RPS) Farooq Sheikh said it can be a difficult task choosing 20 students out of the entire city as many are worthy.

“It sends a positive message out to children. Work hard, stay focused and good things will happen,” said Sheikh.

To begin the day, the students were picked up at their respective schools in a limousine minibus by RPS members and taken to the Cornwall Centre.

They then enjoyed a pizza lunch with the organizers before venturing around the mall.

Regarding spending, nothing was off limits, including the food court or a picture with Santa Claus.

Katie Dockham, the marketing manager from the Cornwall Centre said the mall looks forward to the opportunity of giving back to the community.

“Seeing the look on kids faces and being able to help kids. It’s very special to me and very special to the whole team,” said Dockham.

The overall goal of the occasion is to make positive connections with law enforcement and take a preventive step towards a better and safer community.

“This is an opportunity for those children to have that positive interaction and it give them hope that anything is possible,” said Sheikh

The initiative is a partnership between RPS, The Regina Intersectoral Partnership (TRiP) and the Cornwall Centre.