Shop With a Cop in Salisbury, Md.— Maryland Natural Resources Police

Shop With a Cop is a national event that the Maryland Natural Resources Police has brought to Salisbury, Maryland.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has been involved with Shop With a Cop for a number of years and they have recently just expanded their outreach.

DNR Public Information Officer Candy Thomson says the organization started their outreach in Glen Burnie, Md. Last year, the group added Kent Island, Md. and Calvert County, Md. and just this year—Salisbury, Md.

Thomson says credit is largely due to Cpl. Mance McCall III, a Lower Shore native and recruitment officer, who set the day of shopping up.

McCall, who is a member of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 16, said he went to the lodge and asked if it would finance the event.

“The lodge voted overwhelmingly to sponsor 15 children for the event, providing transportation to the shopping area and a $100 gift card,” Thomson said.

McCall is a New Dimensions Ministries member and was able to work with the organization, which agreed to provide breakfast for the children while the gifts were being wrapped.

“It’s a wonderful partnership between NRP officers and the children, as well as New Dimensions Ministries and these children,” Thomson said. “It was really a nice gesture—the children got gifts but the officers got gifts because the smiles on the kids faces made the holidays better for everyone.”

DNR plans to do this again next year which means the organization is now involved in 34 different communities.