These Drivers Thought They Were Getting Tickets

[Londo_Jowo]

Instead, Police Gave Them Christmas Gifts

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/10/cops-give-gifts-instead-of-tickets-lowell_n_6301078.html

After he pulled them over, VanSolkema made small talk and sneakily asked drivers what they or their kids wanted for Christmas. Meanwhile, a group of helpers were standing by at a nearby store. As soon as they heard a driver's Christmas wish, they'd race to find, buy, wrap and deliver it to VanSolkema.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Good for everyone involved.

 

[ControlD]

So, if the cops pulled someone over to give them Christmas presents and saw or smelled something suspicious what would happen? Would an arrest in that case hold up in court?

 

[nickbits]

Repost

 

[Mai72]

Don't trust it.

Fake publicity because they are on the hot seat for Brown and Garner.

No?

 

[rudeguy]

Don't trust it.

Fake publicity because they are on the hot seat for Brown and Garner.

No?

No you ignorant twat. Did you even read it?

This is a very small police force in Michigan, they aren't on the seat for anything. Lowell is a suburb of Grand Rapids where I live. We do all kinds of RAKs and pay it forwards around here.

 

[Subyman]

Pretty neat, but hopefully the drivers didn't think they were getting in trouble. I'd rather move on with my day instead of getting a free toy.

 

[WHAMPOM]

Good that Protect And Serve is still out there, bad that the Storm Trooper mentality with machine guns and heavy assault vehicles is to.

 

[z1ggy]

Would have been funny if somebody started a police chase over this..

"I'M NOT GOING BACK TO THE SLAMMER DAMNIT!! NOT AGAIN!"

Cop- "But we just wanted to give you a present...!"

 

[marincounty]

How about the cops did us all a favor and just stayed at the station for the day?

Getting pulled over always raises my blood pressure and is never a good thing.

 

[Victorian Gray]

Instead, Police Gave Them Christmas Gifts

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/10/cops-give-gifts-instead-of-tickets-lowell_n_6301078.html

And every year these guys do toy runs for Xmas. Guess they're pretty cool dudes, eh?

 

[Fern]

I think there are better ways to improve their public imagine.

Maybe it's just me, but when I'm driving I'm doing so to get somewhere and I don't think I'd be too happy at such an interruption/ inconvenience.

Police here deliver Xmas presents to the homes of poor people with kids on Xmas eve. That strikes me as a better idea.

Fern

 

[zanejohnson]

anything who thinks this isn't a publicity stunt is a complete idiot.

funny how a camera crew just happens to be nearby while they're running this "publicity campaign."

 

[rudeguy]

anything who thinks this isn't a publicity stunt is a complete idiot.

funny how a camera crew just happens to be nearby while they're running this "publicity campaign."

You really are stupid.

 

[zanejohnson]

You really are stupid.

I'm really stupid? you think these cops just decided to go out and buy Christmas presents for the locals?

you dont think this was a carefully carried out publicity stunt orchestrated by this police department and local media to try to encourage support of said department?

seriously?

do you think these cops spent their own money to buy these presents? No. they used your tax dollars.

 

[Fern]

I'm really stupid? you think these cops just decided to go out and buy Christmas presents for the locals?

you dont think this was a carefully carried out publicity stunt orchestrated by this police department and local media to try to encourage support of said department?

seriously?

do you think these cops spent their own money to buy these presents? No. they used your tax dollars.

What we think is that it's so obviously a publicity stunt that it need not be said. I.e., you were being "Captain Obvious".

I doubt it was taxpayer money. Believe it or not that is fought over and the police dept would have had to cut their spending elsewhere if they used their funds to purchase the gifts.

Where I live the police have fundraising drives to collect money for charity efforts. I do imagine some cops donated too.

Fern

 

[zanejohnson]

What we think is that it's so obviously a publicity stunt that it need not be said. I.e., you were being "Captain Obvious".

I doubt it was taxpayer money. Believe it or not that is fought over and the police dept would have had to cut their spending elsewhere if they used their funds to purchase the gifts.

Where I live the police have fundraising drives to collect money for charity efforts. I do imagine some cops donated too.

Fern

Thank you for replying to my post with a thought out, intelligent, answer.

I imagine they might have used money used from fundraising drives. I do not for one second think that any officers spent any money out of their salaries whatsoever... sorry i just don't think that's realistic, i respect your optimism though.

 

[zanejohnson]

A much better gift would have been, like another member posted above, if they just stayed at the station unless called/needed in a situation... and didn't act like they are out hunting people for petty crimes to raise money for local gov/meet quotas.

(i personally believe a great majority of officers actively "hunt." for certain types of people, in an attempt to ruin their lives.)

I do believe that when they pull over someone in a "ghetto," looking car, for not wearing a seatbelt, and then proceed to search the car for drugs/contraband, they are in fact, and they know this.. trying to ruin someone's life...

They know that a huge percentage of the population if arrested, will not be able to make bond, will have to sit in jail until their court date, losing their job, losing their family.. over a petty crime like possessing some marijuana.

They full well know this, and i think they "get off," on being able to do this to "types," they don't' agree with. It's cruelty.

 

[rudeguy]

Did you guys even bother to read?


Holy shit man. You are fucking dumb.

 

[werepossum]

Lovely story, and I am astounded that at least two people here could be pissed off by giving them exactly what they or their kids want for Christmas.