Sheriff’s Office Hosts Shop With a Cop, Supports Foster Children

On the morning of December 20 the Nye County Sheriff’s Office welcomed 33 foster children to its annual Shop With a Cop event at VFW Post 10054 on Homestead Road. The children arrived at 8 30 a.m. with 24 deputies serving as chaperones for a breakfast of sausage patties and pancakes provided by the VFW. They were then driven to Walmart in patrol vehicles with lights and sirens and given $100 each to spend.

The event has grown from 27 foster children last year. Tammy Engel, Supervising Sheriff Administrator and president of the nonprofit Friends of the Nye County Sheriff’s Office, said, "So it’s a few more foster kids this year, some the same, some new." Engel organized participation through the Division of Child and Family Services, obtaining a list of local foster children and contacting each foster parent. "I let them know that their child’s been selected and ask them if this is something that they’re OK with them participating in, and explain the whole process," Engel said. "I haven’t had anyone say no."

Sheriff Joe McGill modified the program to focus exclusively on children in foster care, saying, "Those are the kids that don’t necessarily have a lot of things. So we like to get them out, get some positive interaction with law enforcement for them." The emphasis on community policing is intended to counteract the negative experiences some children may have had with authorities. For Captain Harry Means the program carries personal weight. "This is super important to me," he said. "As a former foster kid…I believe in it wholeheartedly. I just want to give the kids a positive message. I want to be an example that through hard work, you can improve your situation, you don’t have to be a statistic. This part of your life doesn’t define you."

Community support and private fundraising underwrote the event. Engel noted a fundraiser earlier this month and said several Walmart customers made spontaneous donations during shopping. McGill acknowledged corporate and civic partners including NextEra Energy, Pahrump Wash Company, the VFW and Walmart, and credited deputies who volunteered their time. "Most of the deputies that we have here are not working right now. They’re doing this for free. They volunteer. So, the deputies really are the ones that deserve the credit for this," McGill added.

The event illustrates how local institutions and private partners collaborate to support foster youth, while also raising questions for policymakers about sustainable funding and program expansion. For residents, the program provides tangible benefits to vulnerable children and a visible example of civic engagement by county law enforcement.