Behind the Badge
The 8-year-old girl had a question.
“Am I going to go with a police boy or a police girl?”
Yusra Khan said she preferred a girl cop.
“Because they’re fancier,” she explained.
Yusra got not one, but two female FPD employees — one a police officer, the other a civilian member of the professional staff — to accompany her and her mother during the Fullerton PD’s Shop With a Cop on Dec. 10.
Tatiana Donaldson, 7, picks out a new doll with the help of Sgt. Kathryn Hamel during Fullerton PD’s Shop With a Cop at a Target store.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
In the annual event, Fullerton PD employees, including Chief Dan Hughes and members of his command staff, spent a few hours with at-need children who were handpicked by their teachers for a Mexican dinner with FPD employees followed by a shopping spree at Target.
Each kid — there were 10 participants this year — received a $100 gift card, made possible this year by donations from the community, to buy what they wanted. And in most cases, police officers and other FPD employees dug into their own pockets to make the kids’ Christmas a little brighter than usual.
Accompanying Yusra and her mother, Amena Syed, a single mother of two and part-time mathematics instructor at Cal State Fullerton, were Cpl. Gabby Soto, a school resource officer, and Julie Langstaff, technical services manager at the FPD.
Brianna Tran, 11, holds a ballerina snow globe she is getting for a friend with the help of Fullerton PD Officer Michael Yang during Fullerton PD’s Shop With a Cop on Dec. 10.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
“I love this,” said Langstaff, participating for the first time in Shop With a Cop. “I love being able to help people who are less fortunate than I. It’s very rewarding.”
Yusra purchased gifts for her friends and one for charity.
“This is really exciting,” said Yusra, a special-needs student at Hermosa Drive Elementary School. Yusra has been diagnosed with being on the autism spectrum, her mother said.
“We did a dry run (of the store) last night,” Syed said. “New experiences sometimes can be overwhelming to her.”
Yusra was delighted as Soto and Langstaff, along with her mother, whipped around the store, snatching up a Wii game, a dog toy, a Lego game and several other items.
“Mom, do you like jewelry?” Yusra asked as the foursome passed the jewelry section.
Randy Rouse, 8, gets a meal served to him by Salvador Valadez of Tacos Tacos A Domicilio, at Fullerton Police headquarters before heading out to Target for Fullerton PD’s Shop With a Cop.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
“You might like this one, mom,” Yusra said in the DVD section as she picked up “Ant-Man.”
A woman in the Target who spotted the FPD officers broke down and cried when she explained to a couple of them how she and her daughter, 7, and son, 5, had fallen on hard times.
Merissa Lopez, 23, said she was at the Target to buy a temporary cell phone because her service got cancelled on her regular phone due to unpaid bills. She said her husband was looking for a job.
“It’s hard this year,” Lopez said of Christmas.
Victoria Rangel, a parking control specialist with the Fullerton PD, helps Nathan Vaughn, 10, pick out a game that includes a chess set during Fullerton PD’s Shop With a Cop.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
In true holiday spirit, FPD Sgt. Kathryn Hamel stepped up and, with Hughes’ blessing, whipped out a credit card to buy more than $150 worth of gifts for the Lopez family.
Said Lopez of Shop With a Cop, in a sentiment shared by all participants:
“This is a big blessing.”
Fullerton PD Sgt. Tim Petropulos helps Daniel Estrella, 14, pick out some clothes during Fullerton PD’s Shop With a Cop at Target. Tim was looking for clothes so he would look good for his mom on Christmas day.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Capt. Scott Rudisil, left, Police Chief Dan Hughes and Capt. John Siko pose with Santa during Fullerton PD’s Shop With a Cop.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Yusra Khan, 8, gets help picking out a new book from Julie Langstaff, technical services manager for Fullerton PD.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Shop With a Cop participants, Fullerton police officers and Target employees gather at the conclusion of Fullerton PD’s Shop With a Cop on Dec. 10 for a group photo.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
