Forty children selected by staff at The Banquet in Sioux Falls are spending an hour Thursday evening shopping with a law enforcement officer  at one of the local Target stores.

Sioux Falls Police Officer Jim Larson says "Shopping with Kids & Cops" is an annual event that involves area law enforcement agencies, The Banquet, Sioux Area Metro and Target.

Larson says each child gets a gift certificate from Target and can spend it on anything they wish.  He ssys while some kids might buy something for themselves, many will buy a gift for their siblings, parents or even a special teacher.

Law enforcement agencies participating in "Shopping with Kids & Cops" include Sioux Falls, Tea and Brandon Police, the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office and the South Dakota Highway Patrol.

Larson says since the program began in 2005, 386 children have been part of "Shopping with Kids & Cops."

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