Police and kids head to Walmart for 15th year of Shop with a Cop

MT. PLEASANT, Pa. (KDKA) - This week marks the return of the Shop with a Cop program. 

Every year, the organization enables hundreds of kids from disadvantaged backgrounds to take to the aisles to pick their favorite gifts accompanied by a member of the Westmoreland County law enforcement community. 

This year is year 15 of Shop with a Cop in Westmoreland County, and according to the man who's organized this effort over the last decade and a half, the idea is starting to spread.

It's not every day that a little kid can roam the toy aisle of their local Walmart with his own police escort pushing the shopping cart. But that's exactly what happened at the Mt. Pleasant Walmart on Tuesday as Westmoreland County's law enforcement community gathered once again for Shop with Cop.

"In Westmoreland County, we're going to hit six different Walmarts," trooper Stephen Limani said. 

According to Limani, who started this 15 years ago, this holiday tradition has very humble beginnings.

"It started with 20 kids and 50 bucks for each one of the kids," he said. 

But the program has grown. 

"We're gonna take around 500-some kids. By the time we're done, we'll probably spend close to $100,000," he said.  

"Been reaching out to some surrounding counties and you're gonna see some popping up in the very near future," he added.   

Finally, for Limani, who spends the entire year raising money for this effort, this is a labor of love. 

"Southwestern Pa. people are the most awesome human beings on the planet," he said. 

"I am absolutely the luckiest police officer that walks the face of this earth."