‘Good to have that interaction’: Shop with a Cop event now in its 19th year in Calgary

A group of Calgary students got to shop with a cop at Marlborough Mall on Wednesday in a holiday tradition dating back nearly 20 years.

Calgary police, Marlborough Mall and 27 youth partnered up for the 19th annual Shop with a Cop event focusing on building positive relationships between officers and students.

The students were treated to a shopping spree with a $200 gift card.

The initiative paired officers with students selected from nine schools in District 4 for a morning of bonding and gift buying at Marlborough Mall.

The gift cards were donated by Primaris and SLB to spend at retailers in the mall.

Students were chosen by their schools to recognize achievements such as volunteer work, academic excellence, sporting success or other community service.

Const. Munya Mwayi, a community resource officer with the Calgary Police Service, said he has organized the event twice and been part of it for three years.

“It’s also good to have that interaction when it’s outside our normal duties because we do a lot more than just policing,” Mwayi said.

“It is very much community-based policing that we do.”

Mwayi said the event is designed to celebrate the perseverance and leadership of the youth.

“We want to recognize them as community leaders as well, because within their own communities as students, whether academically, whether socially, whether it’s any kind of perseverance, they’ve shown it within their own lives,” he said.

As for the officers, Mwayi said this event allows them to connect with youth on a more personal level.

“I think a lot of police officers, we can be guarded with our job, and this allows us to be relaxed and be more personable to our community,” he said.

Rachel Aushala, a Grade 9 student at Bishop Kidd School, said she was thankful to be part of the experience.

She was hoping to buy some gifts for her family.

“I’ve been working hard the last couple months; with the (teachers’) strike, I think this is a good opportunity, especially for us. (We’ve) just been through a lot recently,” she said.

“I’m just grateful that I got picked from my school, (for) my teachers who picked me and I’m happy that this is an opportunity for us.”

Adriana Colk, a Grade 9 student at St. Martha School, was pleased she was chosen.

“I think I’m pretty lucky, considering I feel unlucky most of the time,” said Colk.

“I got a photo with the police officer and Santa Claus together in one, so that’s nice.”

She also pointed to the expensive nature of shopping for Christmas gifts.

“I have like $100 left. This shop is pretty expensive. So, don’t spend in here unless you’ve got gift cards,” said Colk.

Const. William Sterling was paired with Colk.

He said his first experience with the event was rewarding.

“We see all walks of life, all things, sometimes even things that are negative,” he said.

“But it is nice to kind of come out into an environment like this and see them smile.”

Primaris said it was proud to sponsor the campaign once again.

“By partnering with CPS and local organizations, Marlborough Mall and Primaris is committed to fostering positive relationships and celebrating the achievements of youth in our community,” said Primaris’ marketing manager, Scott McNamara.

With files from Michael Franklin