Stuart Police Department Community Programs (SPDCP) is preparing for an annual event.

Sergeant Katie Guisinger says that they will be holding their 4th Annual Shop with a Cop. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio that this is a nationwide event, but that each department that chooses to participate does it their own way.

“We typically have a goal of trying to take up to 12 West Central Valley students. Typically, these students are around third grade and up. And these are going to be our students that are either kind of at risk or economically more disadvantaged or might just be going through a really tough time. Maybe they’ve had an illness in the family, maybe parents lost a job, or they’re just going through a struggle and this is just something to either help that student and that family out.”

Guisinger mentions that the day will start off with the group meeting at the Stuart fire station, then heading into Des Moines to shop at Target. She adds that once the shopping is done, they will have lunch before coming back to the fire station to wrap up their presents they purchased.