ENOCH, Utah -- Getting pulled over by the police is never fun, but what if they handed you cash instead of a ticket?
That’s what happened in Iron County this week when Enoch police spread a little holiday cheer
“The thought in their mind is... maybe they’re getting a citation, maybe they’re getting a warning, and then we come back up and hand them a hundred-dollar bill, and tell them ‘Merry Christmas,’” said officer Dustin Roy of the Enoch Police Department.
Six people driving through Enoch got a holiday surprise this week, the gift of Christmas cash.
“Here’s 100 bucks. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Enoch Police Department,” one officer can be heard saying on a video of the encounter.
It was part of an effort from Enoch Police Department to give back to the community. Police Chief Jackson Ames said they get donations every year to give to people in need, and he said this year they decided to take a fun approach to giving the money away.
“It’s not a common experience that most people have during traffic stops, so very rewarding for all of us officers,” Ames said.
Officers created a YouTube video showing the interactions. Each officer in the department took a turn pulling over unsuspecting drivers. The full YouTube video is at the bottom of this story.
Many of those drivers were speechless upon receiving the gift. Some responded with tears. The officers say they received a gift as well, a gift of positive interaction with community members.
“I feel like that we need to build that relationship with them, and let them know that we're community members just like them, and we’re not out to get anybody,” Ames said.
Officers involved said it was an emotional experience.
“I lot of them had tears of excitement, and they were all you could tell just very grateful people,” Roy said.
