AKRON — Pamela Helmick is a University of Akron K9 handler who trains her dog Halo.

“She's patrol trained, explosive detective canine," Officer Helmick said. "So, she does the bite work, the tracking, the building search the area search and looks for explosives.”

She was busy talking about her baby, while shopping for someone else's.

Actually, a lot of officers from a lot of different departments are shopping for kids for their tradition known as Christmas with a Cop.

“It gives us the opportunity to get out into our communities and have a relationship with the kids,” Helmick said.

What You Need To Know

  • Christmas with a cop brings many departments together to give back to the community

  • Collecting toys for hundreds of kids in different communities

  • Usually kids shop with the officers, but because of the pandemic the officers shopped along this year


Christmas with a Cop is a 20-year tradition that brings police departments together for the kids they serve.

 

The kids range from age 3-16 and they try to get them exactly what's on their Christmas list.

“So one of the older kids wants a TV," Helmick said. "So, we're getting a TV."

The shopping looks a little different this year with the pandemic.

Normally, the kids come along to shop with the officers, but this year, the officers are shopping on their own.

Either way, the officers say it's completely worth it.

“Oh my gosh," Helmick said. "It's so worth it just to have a positive impact on some of these kids lives. It's amazing. It truly is.”