Indio Police help students in need with holiday gifts at Walmart

Some local middle school students are feeling the Christmas spirit today after the annual shop with a cop event.

Indio police department staff partnered with the Walmart Supercenter to give students in need gift cards so they can buy gifts for their families. The Desert Sands Unified School District work with IPD's school resource officers to identify students who have struggled or don't have the opportunity to have a nice Christmas, said Chief Mike Washburn.

On Tuesday, IPD staff joined nine students as they looked for gifts at the Indio Walmart Supercenter.

"One of the things that's really always heartwarming, is when you look at a basket and you say, 'Well those are all things for a girl. What's going on there,'" Washburn said. "They're always buying things for their siblings. Even our kids who are here to have some blessings bestowed upon them, they get to bless others."

IPD says "Shop with a Cop" allows the department to live up to its motto, “Our Community… Our Commitment.”