Florida police department going viral for new video celebrating kids doing good deeds
SEBASTIAN, Fla. - A local police department is being noticed for its new program, cracking down on kids doing the right thing.
The Sebastian Police Department just started a new program to help build relationships between police and the community, starting with children.
The cute video , shared on the department's Facebook page, is already reaching a ton of people with hundreds of shares and thousands of views on social media this week alone.
"I didn't even know it had that much of a reach until speaking to you," said Lieutenant Robert Vafiades of Sebastian Police.
He says SPD's police chief brought the idea back to Sebastian after attending a conference. His agency made the video and started the new program to help bridge the gap between police and people by praising kids for doing the right thing.
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"We like to celebrate the good part of our community and our kids and hopefully have a lasting memory that we're just not always there for the bad," said the lieutenant.
Vafiades says police officers are on the lookout for kids making good choices. Every police officer has special coins on hand to reward them.
He says children can be rewarded for several good deeds and smart choices like "kids wearing their life preservers or like in the video, picking up trash."
If a child's "caught," they can scan the QR code on the back of the coin and see what small businesses in Sebastian are offering a free reward for their good deed.
Police see a lot of bad things in the community but believe it's important to highlight the good. The officers hope the positive interaction will also help children build character so they want to make good choices every day.
The program was made possible by donations through SPD's COPE program. The agency's next fundraiser to help with community engagement efforts like this is on Oct. 26 at the Sebastian Municipal Golf Course.
