This Christmas, local law enforcement officials will become heroes for those in need.The Ames Police Benevolent Association, a group of about 70 officers and retirees, is sponsoring this year’s “Shop with a Cop” program. Law enforcement personnel from the Ames Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, ISU Department of Public Safety, Story County Sheriff’s Office and the Ames Police Explorer Post are volunteering their time to help those less fortunate this holiday season, said Officer Mark Mills of the Ames Police Department. The officers will be accompanied by several community organizations and ISU student athletes on Dec. 9 when they take children shopping at Kmart, 1405 Buckeye Ave., after breakfast.Officers will suit up for a day of shopping at the store with children ages 6 to 17, Mills said. Participants will leave around 7 a.m. on three CyRide buses donated by the company. Families of infants will receive gift certificates, and all other children will be given a set amount of money to spend on Christmas gifts for their family members. Mills said it is a great program, and every year the participants seem to be more than pleased.”They love it — the families love it, but the kids really love it,” he said.Corporal Geoff Huff of the Ames Police Department said there is also a life lesson behind the program.”We encourage [the children] to buy not only for something for themselves, but for their family members as well,” he said.Huff said the program is funded through monetary donations and volunteering. Brochures asking for a money donation were sent out to all Ames residents who use city utilities.Mills said he is proud of the program he and Huff have been running for the last three years. The program started in 1994.”We’ve helped over 600 kids,” he said. “Since we’ve been doing this, programs like it are popping up all over the place.”The program is also a way for the community to see the officers as “normal people,” Mills said. “We’re not stiff and scary cops,” he joked.Huff said he thinks the program will help the community to better understand police officers as well.”We aren’t telling someone ‘No, don’t,'” he said. “We’re trying to be seen as people by telling these kids, ‘Yes.'”Mills said he enjoys the program as much the children do.”It’s just a terrific feeling,” he said. “It’s Christmas time, you think about giving, and you are giving your time to someone who appreciates it.”There is no particular goal for the project aside from involvement, Mills said.”We would like to help as many kids as possible and get as many people involved as possible,” he said.Huff said there is one thing he would like to see take the place of this program.”We would love to see it where there aren’t any kids who need things like this,” he said.