Idaho Police Spread Holiday Cheer with Candy Bars Taking the Place of Minor Citations

With the world turning ever more turbulent in the waning days of 2019, the Christmas season is as good a time as any to remind ourselves to love our fellow man.

This is the true reason for the season – not the gifts and the egg nog.  This is about reminding ourselves of the lessons of the man born in a manger, who sacrificed it all in order to absolve us of our sin.

This year, as they have done in years past, police in Boise, Idaho are displaying their own delicious brand of forgiveness to those who’ve committed menial offenses.

For the last two weeks before Christmas, the police departments of Boise, Idaho, observe a unique tradition. If your tail light is out, or you’re going five miles over the speed limit, or any of a host of little infractions, you will still get pulled over and warned. But you will also collect some treats from police officers embracing the spirit of the season.

Even parking enforcement officers are handing out sugary goodwill to people on the streets. Inspired by other departments across the country, Boise officers joined the tradition as a way to create better relationships between citizens and their protectors. “It’s our way to positively interact with folks and pass along an educational safety message besides,” said Boise Police Corporal and Officer Trainer Kyle Wills.

“There was this period when lots of police departments nationally began partnering with people in their communities to do something positive,” he said. “We wondered what we could do here in Boise and that’s how the idea spawned.”

It’s not all fun and games, however.

The candy bars themselves are adorned with messages about the importance of safe driving, and police officers often implore those who they’ve stopped to pay this forgiveness forward.