Drivers get surprise $100 bills from officers
When sirens sound and lights flash in their rear view mirrors, motorists tend to wonder if they’re being pulled over for a traffic violation, expired tags or another reason.
But for several Oceanside drivers who were pulled over shortly before Christmas, the answer was the last thing they expected to hear.
Officers told them they had done nothing wrong, and then asked if they’d like a $100 bill.
The money came from a $3,000 gift from Trauma Intervention Programs Inc., a national nonprofit founded in Oceanside by Wayne Fortin in 1984.
Officers began giving out the cash Dec. 22, and Oceanside Police Chief Fred Armijo said efforts were made to focus on people who appeared to need it the most.
News channel Fox 5 had a ride-along Dec. 22 and found motorists at first were surprised and unsure what was happening, but then very appreciative.
“We’re trying to spread some holiday cheer,” an officer told one driver before handing over a $100 bill.
Oceanside Police Department Public Information Officer Jennifer Atenza said officers distributed $2,000 on Dec. 22 and began giving out more money the next day after getting an additional $1,000 from TIP.
“We typically encounter people on their worst days, and often have to act as the deliverer of bad news,” she said about the distributions, which continued through Christmas. “This was a special treat for our officers to be able to engage our community and brighten their day.”
Atenza said recipients of the gift include a woman who found her tires slashed after dropping off presents to her family on Christmas Day.
“Officers engaged people waiting at bus stops and out walking in the rain,” she said. “One vehicle we stopped for a traffic violation had a mother driving who had just picked up her daughter from the hospital. Another vehicle had a family of three who were suffering from the aftermath of dealing with COVID-19 and told us that the $100 they received would now help buy a gift for a loved one that they couldn’t afford otherwise.”