Law enforcement officers become kids’ shopping assistants at annual holiday event

Lawrence Police Sgt. Amy Rhoads kneels down to peruse toys with 3-year-old Aviana on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017 during the annual Take Our Youth Shopping (T.O.Y.S.) event at Walmart, 550 Congressional Drive. Local law enforcement members paired up with children from the Ballard Community Center for breakfast at McDonald's, 4911 W. Sixth Street, and later shopped for toys and other gifts for their family members.

Two uniformed Douglas County Sheriff’s Office corrections officers rolled a shopping cart through the Sixth Street Walmart Friday morning, never straying far from the toy aisles.

The 4-year-old girl in their cart was the one in charge.

“Can I get one of those?” she said, pointing across the aisle. “I want one of these.”

The officers pull over the cart in front of a hot pink Minnie Mouse cash register. After some deliberation — the officers explain they’re on a budget, and if she gets the cash register she’ll have to put another toy from her cart back — the girl decides to keep moving and is soon distracted by a bottle of glue, sparkly pink glue.

Corrections officers Aaron Lathrom and Karrington Johnson were among about 30 area law enforcement officers participating in Friday’s Take Our Youth Shopping, or T.O.Y.S., holiday event. Officers paired up with close to 20 children from Ballard Community Services to help the children pick out Christmas gifts for themselves and their family members.

Officers from the sheriff’s office, Lawrence Police Department, University of Kansas police department and Kansas Highway Patrol participated.

Lathrom and Johnson said they enjoyed doing something for the children, not to mention an opportunity to get out of the jail to interact with other community members.

A few aisles over, KU police Sgt. Zeke Cunningham was one of two officers paired up with another 4-year-old girl.

In addition to the blue-haired, sparkly Shimmer and Shine dolls for herself, she has picked out cozy hats and scarves as gifts for her mom, dad and other family members.

“We’re just out here to help with the kids,” Cunningham said. “I’ve been doing this for a couple years, and it’s fun.”

Sheriff’s Capt. Doug Woods and Lawrence police Detective Lance Flachsbarth, who help organize the event, said Hallmark donates money to pay for the presents, and a local church group later wraps them all.

Ballard Center education director Melissa Boisen said the event not only helps families with Christmas gifts, but it’s also good community relations.

“It’s putting the officers in a good light,” Boisen said. “We want them to have a good relationship. We want them to know they’re safe people.”