(INDIANAPOLIS) – Indianapolis-area police departments are trying something new with drivers spotted with a broken headlight or taillight.
You’ll still get pulled over if your car has a light out, but instead of a ticket, the officer may hand you a 25-dollar coupon to get it fixed. Jiffy Lube Indiana president Steve Sanner says the Marion County Prosecutor’s office suggested the idea after seeing it in Florida — but that was a one-week experiment. Indy Metro Police and about 30 other departments in and around Marion County started the program in February and plan to continue it until further notice.
Sanner, who’s vice chairman of the Central Indiana Police Foundation, says the program sends a message that officers aren’t just trying to fill a ticket quota, but working to make the roads safer. Foundation executive director Lisa Rollings says it also creates a positive interaction between police and the public at a time when police conduct has been under scrutiny.
Sanner says he’s printed eight-thousand vouchers. So far, 85 have been redeemed.
