Wayne County Sheriff's Office giving out gift cards during traffic stops
(CBS DETROIT) - Several drivers were pulled over today and had no idea what they did wrong. Turns out, they did nothing wrong.
The Wayne County Sheriff's Office wanted to be a blessing for people in need as the holidays approached.
Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington said today's event is known as Santa on Patrol.
"It makes me feel great, I've always I've always been a giver," Sheriff Washington said.
This year's event was sponsored by the Wayne County Sheriff's Department, the Leadership Advancing & Helping Communities (LAHC) and Kroger.
"I've protected and served this community for 40 years and in law enforcement and it's just a part of what we do, just protecting and serving and helping those that need help," Sheriff Washington said.
Today, unsuspecting drivers were pulled over, but they weren't ticketed. Instead, they were given $250 gift cards from Kroger.
Wassim Mahfouz, also with Wayne County Sheriff's Office says the Santa on Patrol program has been in place for about nine years. This year they plans to give out more than $3,000 in Kroger gift cards.
The goal is simple: help families in need and build bridges between people and police.
"The purpose of this event is to, one, build bridges of understanding between local law enforcement agencies. Humanize the badge, basically, and the community," Mahfouz explained.
"So it's very important. We're looking forward to bringing a little cheer still for both lives," Sheriff Washington added.