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Dec 15, 2008 6:43 pm US/Central
Denton PD Handing Out Rewards To Good Drivers
DENTON (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
One North Texas police department is going after drivers this holiday season. But, in this case, some people stopped by officers are surprised by what was being handed out.
When you see red and blue flashing lights in your rearview mirror it usually means you're being pulled over for breaking the law.
But as an officer from the Denton Police Department made on traffic stop it wasn't to hand out a ticket. "We just wanted to thank you," the officer told the driver, as he handed him a reward coupon for following the law.
Driver Joy Robinson was rewarded. "I was thinking 'what did I do?' That is a real neat concept," she said after getting a reward coupon.
Denton police are handing out the rewards through the holiday season. The coupon books include discounts at local businesses.
Rewarded driver Flemint Sutton said he was truly surprised. "I think that's very good gesture, because it just shocked me, like wow, for doing something good."
Denton Police Department Officer Jim Bryan says the rewards can be handed out for a number of reasons. "It can be when you see somebody turn their blinker on, letting them in their lane instead of speeding up so they can't get there. It could be stopping and not making that right turn where it's prohibited," he explained.
Right now Denton police officers give out some 30,000 traffic tickets a year. Officials are hoping that handing out rewards, instead of citations, helps to cut the number of violations down.
The gesture maybe nice - but legally, some think it's unconstitutional. "You can't use the authority of government unless there is a lawful reason for using that authority. To arrest somebody, or stop somebody, or pull somebody over, to give them a coupon isn't one of the reasons for doing that," attorney Frank Colosi explained.
Denton police say their goal is simple - they're just trying to appreciate good drivers.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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