Naperville police play Santa for families in need

Fifteen-year-old Devin Sipp finished up his Christmas shopping Thursday with the help of a Naperville police officer.

Sipp was one of six youths to participate in the Naperville Fraternal Order of Police Lodge's second annual Shop With a Cop, which helps families in need keep up with the gift-giving demands of the season.

Teamed with Naperville officer Derek Zook, Sipp had little trouble thinking of gift ideas as they walked the aisles of the Target on West Jefferson Avenue.

The Naperville North High School student ended up with a watch for mom, a set of cookware and a new humidifier for their home, and a video game gift card to keep the teen busy over Christmas break.

“I wouldn't be able to do this on my own,” he said.

Vince Clark, president of Naperville's FOP, said the union raises money each year to help children identified through the city's social services department buy gifts for their families. The effort culminates in a shopping spree with the officers at Target.

Clark said the experience is mutually rewarding because it both brightens the holidays for the children and builds a positive rapport with police outside the realm of law enforcement.

“This is what it's all about,” he said. “We enjoy it. We like to give back to the community, and it's fun to see the kids' excitement.”

Devin's mother, Ann Sipp, who is disabled and out of work, said the program last year gave her son a sense of community and helped him to see authority figures as people, too.

“The police officers really enjoy it, which puts the kids at ease,” she said. “It helped broaden his perspective.”