US cops give out chocolate instead of tickets for holidays

Since 2015, Boise traffic and parking police have been handing out bars of chocolates as a measure of goodwill and holiday cheer in the lead-up to Christmas

By AARON REICH
Peanut butter and chocolate treats (photo credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)
Peanut butter and chocolate treats
(photo credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)
Traffic tickets are the bane of existence for many drivers on the road, with a sense of dread forming when police sirens wail or when seeing paper stuck underneath windshield wipers.
That is, except in Boise, Idaho, when only a few weeks every December, those signs become a lot sweeter.
Since 2015, Boise traffic and parking police have been handing out bars of chocolates as a measure of goodwill and holiday cheer in the lead-up to Christmas, according to The Washington Post.
“It's our way to positively interact with folks and pass along an educational safety message besides,” said Boise Police Cpl. Kyle Wills, 44, who is assigned to the motorcycle unit and helps train new officers.
Wills explained how people often seem shocked when he pulls out his ticket book and instead of levying a fine, gives them two candy bars and a note about buckling up and driving safely.
“I tell them to enjoy one of the bars and to pay it forward and pass the other one along to somebody who they think could use a little lift,” said Wills. “They're always very grateful. Nobody wants a ticket, especially right before Christmas."
The practice is a hit with other police officers, too.
“Once we get into December, people start saying, 'Merry Christmas' to us and giving us more than a few angry looks,” said Cpl. Ryan Jones, 47. “Traffic is like fishing: I put my hook in the water and somebody bites it. All we do is enforce, enforce, enforce. Nobody likes the traffic unit."
But for a small window every year, that's changing.
“It's really nice to hand them that candy bar,” he said. “We tell them why we stopped them and they listen and are appreciative. It's a win-win for both. I don't want to have to worry about messing somebody's Christmas up."
The practice started in 2015 when the Boise police heard about other police departments across the US handing out gifts instead of citations.
“There was this period when lots of police departments nationally began partnering with people in their communities to do something positive,” Willis said. “We wondered what we could do here in Boise and that's how the idea spawned."
The police give out on average 300-500 tasty tickets every year.
Of course, this only applies to those committing minor infractions. Those who run red lights or put lives at risk aren't given such a sweet surprise.
And, just in case, the police always check the license and plates of whoever they pull over.
“We want to make sure that we're not giving a chocolate bar to somebody who's on the Top 10 Most Wanted list,” Willis explained. “That probably wouldn't be very good PR for the program."


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