fun day shopping for holiday gifts for loved ones , enjoying festive food and treats , and even meeting Santa .
Just last December , PLEA Charities hosted the 13th annual Phoenixbased Shop with a Cop event .
Setting a record this year , 195 children were selected by officers , school counselors , and case workers between the ages of 7 and 12 spent the day with police officers , eating Chick-fil-A breakfast sandwiches and donuts ( of course !), making holiday-themed crafts to take to their families , meeting Blue Santa , and shopping their hearts out at Kohl ’ s .
Many departments have been hosting Shop with a Cop events for decades ; they ’ re a great way to provide families in need with a bit of extra holiday cheer and forge meaningful connections between officers and the children in their communities . PLEA Charities took it a step further by sponsoring four families this holiday that were struggling . We bought and wrapped all the Christmas gifts and hand delivered them to the families . These builds relationships breaking down barriers while creating a positive image for law enforcement .
BACK-TO-SCHOOL DRIVE / STUFF THE BUS
In August , PLEA Charities teamed up with AZTV 7and sponsored Stuff the Bus . This program is to generate donations of the most needed school supplies for students and educators for the upcoming school year . Backpacks were stuffed and loaded onto a school bus to be delivered to schools across the valley . The goal was initially to provide 5,000 backpacks , but that number surpassed 6,000 ! Thank you for all the incredible donations . Some of these students have never had a full backpack for school and giving them the start to having a stress-free school year .
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS
One of the best ways to get the police and the community together is through community related events . These are hosted by neighborhood associations , local businesses , homeowner associations , and programs like Phoenix G . A . I . N . ( Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods ). There are usually kid friendly activities on site with a family friendly welcoming environment . The police and charitable organizations can attend and set up static displays or tents providing great information for outreach . Most of the police departments that attend can utilize this as an opportunity to recruit new police hires while answering and addressing concerns from the public .
CHALLENGES OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS
Community outreach programs are the backbone of community policing . Without these programs , the ability to establish trust and curate a collaborative community environment is limited . Despite their importance , there are many challenges that come along with implementing community outreach programs . The environment must be welcome to everyone , and the outreach has to accomplished the desired goal .
FUNDING
PLEA Charities is a 501 ( 3 ) c nonprofit funded by individuals , corporations , and foundations . These donations can come in various forms , including one-time gifts , monthly pledges , or other major contributions . Since the inception of the charity , we have distributed $ 3.5 million back into the community and public safety support , when they need it most . We could not have accomplished this without the outstanding partnerships with corporations and local businesses that support public safety and understand the mission of PLEA Charities .
POLICING SHOULD BE COMMUNITY-FIRST — ALWAYS
There ’ s no question that the relationship between police officers and community members is a complex one . The reach that a news story or a video may have a rippling effect through social media platforms and has such a large public reach . Police officers are looked at as an authority figure first and foremost , departments all over the nation need to prioritize community outreach just as much as they prioritize equipment and safety gear . In Phoenix , police employment totals have diminished over the years and responding to emergency calls for service or crimes in progress have taken an obvious priority . This leaves the patrol officers with less time to focus on community policing , creating crime suppression models , and building those fundamental relationships that are truly at the heart of police work .
By investing time and energy back into the community , public safety becomes a collective effort . As we remove the “ us vs . them ” dynamic that exists in far too many communities , this needs to be a collaborative effort . All officers can do is stay committed to community outreach programs , find creative ways to connect with people of all ages , and continue building relationships that will make their communities safer .
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