BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — Dozens of kids in Boynton Beach are going on special shopping trips this week as they "Shop With A Cop."
It's the first time the Boynton Beach Police Department program is back in-person after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ten students from Crosspointe Elementary School on Wednesday got to see what it's like to put on SWAT gear, sit on a police motorcycle, see a K-9 officer, and go on a Target shopping spree.
It was all part of the Boynton Beach Police Department's annual "Shop With A Cop."
"We get to talk to them, get to know them a little better," Officer Rachel Baldino said. "They get to know us, and we're building that relationship with them so they know, if they ever need us, they've talked to an officer before."
"It was really fun. I loved it," said fourth grader O'Randy Josaphat. "I just want to say thank you for what happened today and everything."
Josaphat had a great time checking off a few items from his list.
"I got a RC car that has suspension and goes over rocks and grass," Josaphat said.
Each child got a $100 gift card to buy whatever they wanted in the store: gifts for themselves, siblings, or other family members.
"Many of them did go over, but our officers cover that balance," Baldino said.
For the kids and officers alike, it's an opportunity for creating connections.
"We're hoping the kids, when they see us, they'll feel more comfortable. They'll remember this moment," Baldino said.
It's certainly leaving a lasting impact on Josaphat.
"I'm thinking of being a police or engineering," Josaphat said.
This week, Boynton Beach police officers are shopping with 70 kids from the community, 10 from each elementary school in the city.
