Full Notification

The Holiday Season is here and many families throughout our community will not be celebrating or exchanging gifts this holiday. The “Santa Cops” and “Shop with a Cop” are two programs that are stepping in to help those families that have come into financial hardship. Helping the community stay safe has always been the primary goal of the police department, but being able to help in other ways is a very satisfying role for the men and women who wear the police uniform.

This will be the second year for the “Shop with a Cop” program, sponsored by Target Corporation. The program is helping children that have been victims of neglect. This year 35 children will be able to spend $50.00 on a nice gift for themselves or another. North Richland Police Department is please with the program and excited to announce that this year we will be assisting double the amount of children over last year. Each child will be shopping with a North Richland Hills police officer to help select that perfect gift for the boy or girl in need. The goal of the program is to make this a special time for children accustomed to tough times.

For 15 years Santa Cops has been providing toys and food to area families and this year will be serving 91 children in the North Richland Hills area. The program relies on donations from the community to sustain this program. The names of the children in need are provided by the Birdville Independent School District to the police department so we are able to select that special gift or food item and see that it gets to those children this holiday season. Though these programs are a lot of work and their success depends on public donations, the reward of brightening a Childs holiday season makes this a very worthy cause for the police department and the City of North Richland Hills.

To donate either a toy or monetarily you can contact Officer Gwen Kasterke at 817-427-7040. For additional media information contact Investigator Keith Bauman at 817-427-7014.