Burbank teens ‘Shop with a Cop’

Burbank police officers on Wednesday partnered with Target for the “Shop with a Cop” event at the Empire Center.

The event is meant to foster relationships between the community and law enforcement by pairing police officers with low-income youth to shop for holiday gifts for their families, police said in a statement.

The Burbank Temporary Aid Center helped to identify underprivileged teens aged 14 to 17 who were in need of assistance this holiday season.

Each teenager received a gift card, courtesy of Target, to spend on Christmas gifts. Often a child will buy presents for everyone in their family, but must be persuaded by officers to purchase a present of their own, organizers said.

After the shopping ended, the teens were brought back to the Burbank Police station, where they were provided a meal by local restaurant Ciao Cristina.

-- Maria Hsin, Times Community News

twitter: @mariahsin