Some of the police officers who participated in the Kosciusko County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 149’s “Christmas With a Cop” on Thursday, Dec. 15, at the Warsaw Meijer pose with Meijer staff for a photo before the event started. There were 166 kids who got to shop with officers this year. Photo provided.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Andrew Pearson had no qualms about piping up in the middle of an interview with Kosciusko County Sheriff-Elect Jim Smith regarding his opinion of the Kosciusko County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 149’s “Christmas With a Cop.”

“It’s funner for me,” he said of the event at the Warsaw Meijer on Thursday, Dec. 15, at which he got to shop for clothes and toys with Smith.

For his part, Smith, a 12-year “Christmas With a Cop” participant, added, “It’s always an exciting time for officers to be able to get to help out the kiddos.”

“He just mentioned that he’d never gotten to do this before and he was looking forward to it, so seeing that excitement in their eyes and being able to help them out with giving them things they not only want, but also that they need is great,” said Smith.

Pearson was one of 166 kids from around the county who got to pick out items with cops. Along with the KCSO, officers also came from the Indiana State Police and Warsaw, Winona Lake, Claypool, Pierceton, Milford, Syracuse and South Whitley police departments.

This year’s “Christmas With a Cop” was funded through several ways, explained FOP Lodge 149 President and WPD Detective Sgt. Ryan Moore.

“Every year, we do a golf outing — so sponsoring the golf outing and golfing in it — we use all of that money toward this,” he said. “We have a donor that donates significantly from the community and then this year, Elliott’s Heating and Air Conditioning (of Warsaw) donated … a little over $7,000 and it is specifically to go to buy the kids all winter coats.”

Moore said the number of kids participating in “Christmas With a Cop” was the highest it’s ever been.

“We are spending roughly $120 on each kid,” he said, mentioning the goal is to try to split that equally between clothes and toys.

The hope is that kids not only get items they want and need and “Christmas cheer” from the event, but also to just hang out with the officers, “see us in … a better environment than typically sometimes they see us and have fun,” said Moore.

Also representing the KCSO was Chief Deputy Shane Bucher, who’s done “Christmas With a Cop” at least five times.

“I think all of us really enjoy seeing the joy that we bring to these kids, how happy they are,” he said.

Bucher also referred to the event allowing children to see police “in this positive atmosphere” versus responding to “a problem.” He noted the community’s contribution for “Christmas With a Cop.”

“If it wasn’t for the community that helped support this … financially, we wouldn’t be able to do all this with these kids,” he said.

Winona Lake Police Department’s David Swain also was grateful to the community for helping the event occur.

The “Christmas With a Cop”veteran, who’s done it for about 10 years, noted it was “something positive we get to do in this job, which doesn’t happen everyday” and that it would “hopefully help build that relationship with these families going forward.”

Fellow Winona Lake officer Shawn Kantenwein said he’s done “Christmas With a Cop” six years and keeps coming back because he loves it.

“Half of the fun is just watching the kids pick out stuff for themselves and for their siblings … and I love watching that,” he said.

“It gives a different side of us than the guy that pulls everybody over and is at everybody’s house being the bad guy per se,” Kantenwein continued.

From left: The Grinch, Kosciusko County Sheriff-Elect Jim Smith, Andrew Pearson and Santa pose for a photo. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Shane Bucher, Lakelyn Stahl and Indiana State Police Master Trooper Jeff Wampler take a photo. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

The Winona Police Department’s David Swain, his wife Mandy Swain and Miguel Morales check out toys. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

Renee Rader, her daughter Kiara Casteel and the Winona Lake Police Department’s Shawn Kantenwein look at toys. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

From left: Kia Gunnels, her son Carter Gunnels and Warsaw Police Department Patrolman Paige Wood shop. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

Harmony Houseman, right, checks out clothes. With her are from left: her mother Morgan Houseman holding Adaline Snowden, Leon Houseman and ISP Trooper Jon Price. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

WPD Cpl. Zack Smith, left, and Connor Green look at board games. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

Claypool Police Department Deputy Marshal Nick Scott, left, and Lucas Aguilar, do shoe shopping. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

Police lined up their vehicles across the front of Meijer. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.