Washington Township police invite kids to 'shop with a cop'

ROUZERVILLE, Pa. — Washington Township, Pa., police’s first foray into a Christmastime shopping experience with children was a “slime-y” time.

The department’s officers shopped with several children Saturday in its inaugural “Shop with a Cop” initiative.

The children didn’t arrive with many purchases pre-planned, although almost all of them said they wanted kits to make the “slime” goo popular this holiday season.

Zimara Manahan, 10, was the exception to the slime-shopping trend, although she may have played the role of elf and gotten her sister some.

“I’m barely into the slime. It’s too sticky,” Zimara said.

Officer Terry DeWitt said Washington Township police saw other agencies like Pennsylvania State Police and the Washington County (Md.) Sheriff’s Office holding similar events and wanted to start its own.

The township police association chose to meet needs in the southern part of the county.

“Because it’s our first one, we wanted to keep it small,” Detective Mike McGovern said.

The association reached out to Hooverville Elementary School, which is the only school in its jurisdiction. It also contacted the Walmart store in the township.

The retailer and association partnered to put money on gift cards for participating children.

“They said ‘absolutely,’ and they were on board,” DeWitt said of Walmart.

Before Saturday, the officers were already getting excited about the event. DeWitt happily told a story he heard about one boy telling his classmates every day he was going to shop with police.

McGovern was thinking beforehand about the logistics of shopping in the large store.

“We hope they’re going to come with a list,” he said. “Otherwise, it’d be a free-for-all.”

Officer Stephen Shannon helped Tayler Foster, 10, make a list: arts/crafts supplies, movies and slime. Tayler added a movie set from “Alvin and the Chipmunks” to her cart, explaining the Alvin character is a “troublemaker” she and her sister enjoy.

“We both like ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks’ movies,” she said.

Keirsten Manahan, 9, first selected two gifts for her mother, then set her eyes on a bed for the family dog. She was passed in the aisle by a frazzled Officer Geoff Harris, who was jogging to keep up with a boy.

“We’re on a mission for a tow truck,” Harris said over his shoulder.

Landon Yeager, 10, had a Nerf gun, extra ammunition and three Xbox video games in his cart. There also was a diecast car depicting a red Mercedes.

“It might be for my uncle,” Landon said.