Busted by cops, citation is a Thanksgiving turkey

Jerry Smith | The News Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Middletown church teams up with police for a holiday surprise RCCG Amazing Grace Church in Middletown have teamed up with the Middletown Police Department to surprise citizens for positive behavior.

MIDDLETOWN, Del. — An inordinate number of citations were handed out by the Middletown Police Department this week and they were received with smiles of gratitude.

The police teamed up with RCCG Amazing Grace Chapel in Middletown to recognize random acts of kindness and people doing good things for their fellow man in an effort to shine a positive light on the community and law enforcement.

Organizer Frank Richardson thinks law enforcement officers across the country are getting a bum rap because of police shootings and racial tension that have made headlines the last couple of years.

Richardson and the pastors of the Middletown church wanted to put police back in a "good light" while at the same time reaching out to the community around the Thanksgiving holiday.

This week, that partnership was in full force as Middletown police officers handed out 15 "Caught You Being Good" citations when they saw individuals doing something positive.

In return, folks receiving the citations were able to redeem them for a turkey at Amazing Grace Chapel or pay it forward to somebody else who needed it more.

"My daughter is a police officer in Philadelphia and I really think we need to give law enforcement their due," Richardson said. "I think this partnership with the Middletown Police Department is a start."

The turkey giveaway was a part of a community outreach program already happening at Amazing Grace Chapel. Each year, the church gives out more than 300 turkeys to Middletown's needy around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

For Richardson, along with his youngest daughter Gifty, handing out the turkeys to the "do-gooders" and the needy is something he enjoys around the holidays.

"I just like to see the smiles on their faces and knowing they will have turkey for Thanksgiving," Richardson said. "I'm passionate about families not having anything to eat. That's why I' here. My family likes to help people in need."

For their part, Middletown police officers were told to be on the lookout for people doing positive things out in the community. Lt. Christine Brenner said that if they witnessed a random act of kindness, officers stopped that person and gave them the citation.

Brenner said one officer saw a boyfriend carrying his girlfriend's backpack, while another officer witnessed somebody holding the door for someone at a local business. Another officer gave a citation just because he saw a person wearing her seatbelt.

"The officers loved it," Brenner said. "It's nice doing something that isn't negative. It's small, but we all should take a moment to step back and see these positive things."

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