Community Events Highlight Holiday Spirit in Las Vegas

The North Las Vegas Police Department held its annual Shop with a Cop event on December 10, 2025, at a Target near North Fifth Street and the 215 Beltway. Approximately 50 children, ranging from toddlers to teenagers, who are battling illnesses, participated in this holiday shopping spree, paired with police officers.

Collaborating organizations included Candlelighters, 1Care Home Health, the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation, and ProCare Hospice of Nevada. Police officer Ivan Lopez was seen shopping with eleven-year-old Maximilliano Martinez.

Officer David Canela helped two-year-old Kanyi Ballentine, who has sickle cell anemia, as he expressed his desire for toy monster trucks, which his mother Yvonne Ballentine noted they couldn't afford otherwise.

Detective Brian Krieger guided five-year-old Logan Southern and his brother Elias through the aisles, allowing them to choose toys like Legos and race cars. Crime prevention specialist Portland Preston, who has overseen the event since 2009, shared her emotional connection to the event, recalling her own experience with her daughter in the NICU.

The event also featured Santa Claus arriving in a police SWAT vehicle and allowed families to meet him for photos after shopping. The Metropolitan Police Department is scheduled to hold its own Shop with a Cop event at a local Walmart on Saturday, December 12, 2025.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, this initiative reflects the community's commitment to supporting families during the holiday season.