Kids from across Mahoning County shop with deputies today

BOARDMAN

Sometimes Santa Claus shows up wearing a badge and riding in a police cruiser.

That was the experience of more than 40 kids who were treated to a Christmas shopping spree today, courtesy of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 141, which represents the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department. It was the FOP’s annual Shop With a Deputy event.

For the kids and their families, it was a chance to buy Christmas gifts – either for themselves or for family members – that they most likely would not have gotten otherwise. And for the deputies and officers of the sheriff’s department, it was a chance to reach out and serve the community in a way that doesn’t involve law enforcement.

Kids from all over the county met at the McDonald’s restaurant at Market Street and U.S. Route 224, where they ate breakfast. Then, they were loaded into limousines and driven to Kmart, with a police escort, where each child was given $100 to spend for Christmas shopping.

“Our people just love this,” said Sheriff Jerry Greene.

In the past, the FOP had coordinated the annual event with the Salvation Army, reaching out to Youngstown inner city kids. This year, FOP President Joseph Iberis opted to make it a countywide opportunity.

Read more about what happened in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com