Holiday haul: Soap Lake Police Department Shop With A Cop event brings law enforcement closer to community

SOAP LAKE — The fifth annual Soap Lake Police Department Shop With A Cop – meant to give to those in need in the community and highlight the community-based policing SLPD has created – was Thursday.

The SLPD took five selected children to go on an all-expenses-paid shopping trip at the Ephrata Walmart. The children were paired up with officers who helped guide them in picking out gifts for their families and things they needed, such as winter clothing. Each child had a spending limit the officer kept track of.

“In my experience, you see the true nature of giving come out in these kids,” said SLPD Sgt. Spencer Nulph.

He explained it is a very humbling experience because most of the kids SLPD takes shopping tend to prioritize items for their families and not themselves. He also mentioned sometimes they remind the children during the event that price tags don’t matter.

Nulph also said how their police skills come in handy during the event. Similar to how they would interview contacts to get more information, the officers talk to the kids to get to know them better and help them pick out gifts. Nulph said a lot of times the kids will look at something they want and then look to the officer, in a way asking for approval.

After they were done shopping, the police, volunteers, Soap Lake Senior Center volunteers, the Soap Lake School District superintendent, the children and the children’s families got together at the Soap Lake Senior Center for a wrapping party. The families were fed dinner, and the newly bought presents were wrapped for the families to take home.

Each family also took home a package with items the family could use throughout the year. Some of the items in the package included gift cards for haircuts, family dinners or groceries.

SLPD Chief Ryan Cox said as this event has gone on, more and more businesses and members of the community have stepped up to offer their services and support. For example, La Cucina di Sophia, a Soap Lake restaurant, donated gift cards so the families of the children selected for Shop With A Cop can go out and have a nice family dinner together. Cox also mentioned Akins Fresh Market donated enough gift cards for not only the event, but for the officers to give out where they see fit in the community.

Cox said the Shop With A Cop also plays into their effort to provide community-based policing. He explained with community-based policing, members of law enforcement are able to get to know their community and build a relationship with them.

Cox explained this type of policing has numerous positive impacts on the community, but some of the main impacts they hope it has is to encourage the community of all ages to make good choices, increase reporting and increase opportunities. It is more than a temporary solution, but rather instilling long-term relations between local law enforcement and the community they serve.

Nulph commented this also helps both the community and police officers be safer because he said the statistics of aggression or violence are lower between people who know each other rather than strangers

Cox said community-based policing has plummeted crime rates in the Soap Lake community over the last few years.

This relationship-building Cox said he has aimed for since he became chief, also drives what he looks for when hiring new officers. Cox said he wants officers who want to be involved in the community and to help further build that relationship.

Nulph said the Shop With A Cop event is rooted in why most law enforcement personnel became police officers.

“We do the job because it is a calling,” Nulph said. “We are here to serve and protect our community.”

He explained the calling to protect and serve includes meeting the community’s needs in any way officers can. He also said he firmly believes the temperament of a city starts with its police department.