The Wednesday morning influx of police at Marlborough Mall is nothing to be concerned about.
In fact, it is the opposite.
For the 19th annual Shop With a Cop event, members of the Calgary Police Service have partnered with Marlborough Mall shopping centre owner Primaris, all in effort to build relationships with deserving youth.
During the event, 27 students from nine schools in District Four are individually paired with CPS officers for a day of bonding and holiday shopping, a CPS press release reads.
Each student received a $200 gift card, donated by Primaris and SLB, to spend at the mall, a shopping bag with some holiday surprises provided by Marlborough Mall and retailers and a lunch certificate for a meal of their choosing from the mall’s food court.
“It’s basically an event where we bring youth from the community to interact with the police and make it a little bit fun,” said Const. Munya Mwayi, District Four Community Resource Officer.
The students have been selected by their schools to reward their volunteer work, academic excellence, sporting achievements or other sorts of community service.
For Angel, a ninth grade student, the event was very exciting, as he didn’t expect to get chosen.
“When I was at my school, my mom told me that I got chosen to go to the mall with the cops. I was so happy and excited because I’ve been working hard and being kind to everyone,” Angel said.
“Well one thing (I’m looking for is) to help out my family,” he said, when asked what items he had his eye on purchasing.
Mwayi said it is important to build relationships with students and community members outside of everyday police work.
“We do a lot more than just policing, so interactions like this are important to be engaged in an environment where you’re not necessarily meeting a police officer on your worst day, this is a nice way of interacting away from the rigors of the job and the community,” he said.
Now in his third time participating in the event and second time helping organize, Mwayi wants students to see officers as more than a uniform.
“I’m hoping they see that we are dads, we’re brothers, we’re sisters, we’re fathers, we’re mothers and also members of this community that we live in and that we serve,” he said.
“We love this community and we want to see this community do well and that starts with them, the youth.”
Scott McNamara, marketing manager with Primaris, said that the mall is proud to support the Shop With a Cop initiative.
“This year, we are especially grateful to GardaWorld for generously sponsoring lunch for all participants, helping to make the event even more special,” he said.
“By partnering with CPS and local organizations, Marlborough Mall and Primaris is committed to fostering positive relationships and celebrating the achievements of youth in our community.”
