The police chief of Brimfield Township in Ohio is being praised by people from around the country for announcing on his department's Facebook page that officers have been ordered to issue at least one ticket per shift, and are "strongly encourag[ed]" to target small children.
That's right: It's Opposite Summer in Brimfield, and any kid caught wearing a helmet while riding their bike will be stopped by police and issued a ticket — for a free ice cream cone.
The police-issued "prank" is part of a campaign called Operation Safe Summer, an annual tradition aimed at promoting positive behavior with an refreshing incentive.
The owner of Frank’s Drive-In, which will be accepting the "tickets" all summer long, says he hopes the officers will also "write kids up" for "any act of kindness or bravery" that they witness.
"My son was all over it last week," said local mother Kelly. "As soon as he heard about it, he came home from school, riding around with his helmet on, just waiting for somebody to pull him over."
[photo via Facebook]