Sometimes, Santa wears a blue uniform

The Clayton 4-H joined with the Nevada Police Department during the annual Shop With a Cop program. Above, Cara Comstock helps put the finishing touches on a package for one area youth who participated in the program. Officers from the department went shopping with participating youths, who purchased gifts for family members. The children also purchased gifts for themselves.

By Steve Moyer

Nevada Daily Mail

The Nevada Fraternal Order of Police has, for several years, participated in the Shop With a Cop program where area youth who might not have the chance to celebrate Christmas without some help get the chance to buy gifts for themselves and family members, so once again this year, local police officers got together for a special tactical mission -- helping Santa by shopping with a group of area children.

"We've been doing this for quite awhile," said Officer Mike Galimberto. "We did it off and on for several years before doing it every year. I'd say we've done it for at least 10 years and steady for the last five or six."

The local program began after local officers heard of it from other departments. "The Fraternal Order of Police has done this for many years in other departments and we wanted to get involved too," Galimberto said. "We just wanted to give something back to the community."

The FOP works with other community organizations to locate individuals that could use the service.

"We partner with the Vernon County Ambulance District and Community Outreach to pick the families we work with and we also hear about families from other sources," Galimberto said. "We listen to the public and if someone needs help we'll be glad to help them. Usually though Community Outreach works with the families with the food baskets and whatever they do and then turn the cards over to the Ambulance District to get their toys. We come along and take some of the cards and help those families. This year we're helping eight individuals from eight families."

After getting all the gifts and getting them wrapped by volunteers from the Clayton 4-H the officers took the children to McDonald's and bought them breakfast.

"They really had a good time, and we did too," said Galimberto.