KEARNS, Utah (ABC4) – One thing people often see for the holidays is police and firefighters shopping with kids for Christmas. In the Salt Lake Valley, the experience can be a bit hairy, and that’s how Unified Police like it. They tell ABC4 the whole thing really grows on you, and it’s what police grow that helps them pay to make it happen, in this edition of Behind the Badge.

Shopping with a cop for Christmas tends to have a bit more color, and scruff in Salt Lake County. For example, Rebecca Mallory, an officer with the Unified Police Department in the Kearns Precinct, put a little bit of purple in her hair.

Behind the Badge: Filling in some big holiday shoes

“People that have come up to me ‘Oh my gosh I love your hair that’s so fun,'” said Officer Mallory.

Each year, officers with the Unified Police Department can pay a donation. With that donation, they can dye their hair or paint their nails with their favorite colors or skip a shave or two and grow out a mustache or a scruffy beard. The donated money goes to buying gifts during the holidays for families in need.

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“It’s a small price to pay to be able to help a family that is struggling,” said Mallory.

This year, Unified officers and their Shopping with the Shield non-profit donated enough beard and nail money to help 37 families with 125 children get gifts for Christmas. Mallory’s husband Kevin, now a Patrol Sergeant with Unified Police, buys into it too.

“This kind of gives us a chance to show a little bit of our personality,” said UPD Sgt. Kevin Mallory. “Some will grow full beards, some will just do mustaches, some will do goatees. As for the women they have the opportunity to do their hair, or their nails, or both.”

Beyond the beard, Kevin Mallory is often the one to call the families to let them know the police are taking their kids on a Christmas shopping spree.

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“Hearing the emotion on the other end of the phone, when we call those families – I regularly hear tears on the other end of that phone call, to me that just means a ton,” he said.

Officers say it’s rewarding to see the kids light up and pick out their favorite gifts. They say it’s even more rewarding when you see some who aren’t shopping for themselves but for their family.

“It’s awesome when you’re with a kid and all he wants to do is buy stuff for his brothers and sisters and his mom and his dad,” said Kevin Mallory.

A great opportunity for families, and for police to connect with them.

“I want people to see hey, I’m a human you’re a human, and we’re not just here to enforce laws, we’re here to help our communities,” said Rebecca Mallory.

While some of the scruff is rough, the shopping is smooth, and it’s a holiday moment where police really nail it.

For those curious about how they select the families they shop for, officers often find them out doing their normal police patrols. Officers make mental reminders throughout the year of those they see who may need a little help, and when Christmas time comes around, The Mallorys give them a call.

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