COPS BRING HOLIDAY MAGIC

Christmas may still be another five weeks away, but some area youth are already bustling with joy by getting a jump on their holiday shopping with an unconventional partner.

Holiday magic could be felt in the air as 25 young children shopped with police officers and sheriff’s deputies as part of the Steele County Salvation Army’s Shop with a Cop program Thursday night at Target in Owatonna.

For 9-year-old Bella Chandler, the experience proved to be therapeutic.

Bella suffers from a rare genetic disorder, which causes her to be afraid of police, according to her mother, Sarah Chandler.

“She panics when she sees (police) officers, even when I get pulled over,” said Sarah Chandler.

But there was no panic for Bella Thursday during the Shop with a Cop. “She bonded with him right away,” Sarah said of Bella’s partner, Sheriff Lon Thiele. Sarah stayed close by her daughter as she maneuvered through the store with Thiele just in case she would react.

During the shopping encounter, Bella and the other children selected for the program were allowed to spend up to $200 each. While some mixed toys into their purchases, Bella chose to buy only clothes, including a couple of tutus for dance class she recently started. 

“I’m surprised she didn’t pick out any toys,” Sarah said.  “It was fun to see what she would pick.”

Bella’s brother, Zach, 8, also got to take part in the shopping experience, while being paired with a different officer.

As they pulled into the Target lot with many police squads and officers, Zach said to his mother: “At least we’ll be safe tonight.”

Officers from Owatonna Police Department and Steele County Sheriff’s Office, along with Steele County Special Deputies and Steele County Mounted Patrol joined together to make the experience enjoyable for the youth.

Also joining the officers was Lt. Col. Dan Jennings of the Salvation Army of Minneapolis. Jennings, who has been with the Salvation Army for 30 years, currently serves as the divisional commander for Minnesota and North Dakota.

Jennings said exposing children to a positive experience like this is especially critical right now. “The attitude toward police is at an all-time low. There is a lot of negative press about law enforcement,” he said.

“We want the children to have a great experience with police,” said Jennings. “These are incredible people, and it’s good for parents and children to have a positive experience with law enforcement. They are good and have their best interests at heart.”

As Jennings watched the officers interact with the children, he said: “Tonight is about serving. If they were called upon, they would be out protecting.”

Aside from building relationships with police, Jennings said the event also comes at a crucial time for many families. He said 90,000 families across the state are currently behind on their rent payments.

“The increase in rent requests has been astronomical,” said Joanne Lee of the Salvation Army. “Many people are three to four months behind on rent. It’s definitely a struggle for families.”

Sheriff Thiele, who also serves as the chairman of the Salvation Army board of directors, has been involved with the program for years.

“It’s heart warming to see the smiles from cheek to cheek and ear to ear,” said Thiele.

Sarah Chandler said, “I think it’s amazing to realize the police are here to help comfort us and we can go to them for help.”

Besides easing her daughter’s comfort level toward police, she also found the experience to be a godsend for them.

“It’s a blessing that she gets some things she really needs,” Sarah said.