Shop with a Cop returns to the aisles of Walmart, but it will look a little different this year.

Yes, the occasional spirited lightsaber fight might break out between a kid and a law enforcement officer – it’s happened in the past – but this time around the process will be spaced out. Instead of a two hour spree, shopping will take place throughout the day in small groups.

The first shoppers arrive for cookies, hot chocolate and fun around 8 a.m. The last group will begin filling shopping carts close to 5 p.m.

In some cities Shop with a Cop has been put on hold because of the pandemic. A town in Colorado planned a drive through event. The local organizer, Audrain County Sheriff’s Deputy Cody Burson, adjusted the schedule to accommodate for social distancing.

But there are still 52 children, each with a $100 gift card escorted by officers buying presents – or items that are on their personal wish list.

The Sheriff’s Office started Shop with a Cop in 2016, accepting at least 10 children from each of the county’s elementary schools. Shoppers range in age from kindergarten through fifth grade and are selected by school counselors based upon need.

This year at least nine officers will serve as escorts, volunteering from the Sheriff’s Office, Mexico Public Safety Department, Missouri Highway Patrol and the Missouri Conservation Commission.

Funding for the gift cards come from community donations. Officers attend festivals and events throughout the year, staffing booths. They also sell t-shirts. One Highway Patrol officer’s wife even baked for a cookie sale. And people strolling the aisles at Walmart who encounter Shop with a Cop often donate on the spot.

All this effort gives 52 children a Merry Christmas. And while some Shop with a Cop events encourage the children to purchase gifts for others, Burson puts no limits on shoppers.

“They can use that however they want,” said Burson. “It’s up to them.”

If they do spend some – or all – of their money on presents, Walmart staff provide the gift wrapping.

Burson enjoys the process, even though as organizer he’s relegated to the check in station. While there are a few children each year who are hesitant when paired with a law enforcement officer, for the most part it is all smiles and laughter.

A few officers end up wearing Teenage Ninja Turtle masks or playing with dolls. But that’s the point.

Shop with a Cop is a way to help children in need to have a happy holiday season. It also puts them in contact with officers in a friendly setting.

“The children develop a relationship with the officers,” Burson explained. “They get to see that we are human.”

And every once in a while, they get to play with lightsabers inside Walmart.

“I love it,” Burson said.