FREMONT, Neb. — The Fremont Police Department had $5,000 burning a hole in its pockets, and officers were looking to give it away to those who could use a pick-me-up.
An anonymous donor gave the officers the money to spread cheer in the community. It’s been a tradition for the last seven years, KETV reported.
Lt. Kurt Bottorff told KETV that money brings more than smiles during the holiday season.
As in years past, the officers will pull a driver over who actually has a minor violation like a burned-out headlight. But instead of writing a ticket, the officers hand the driver a $100 bill.
“People hug. People cry. We’ve had people scream in their car they’re so excited. Some people [are] kind of low-key, but the ones that mean a lot are the ones that break down a little bit and you can tell you’ve really hit a good spot with them,” Bottoroff told KETV.
This isn’t the only outreach the Fremont Police Department is doing.
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The Fremont Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 37 is continuing its program called Shop with a Cop. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, kids aren’t going to shop with officers at a local Walmart. Instead, officers are giving families gift cards that can be used to buy warm clothes and toys this holiday, The Fremont Tribune reported.
The officers get a list of students in need from the area schools, and they choose families from those lists to help out.
Between 40 and 50 kids are chosen to receive $100 each year, the newspaper reported.