SAN JOSE (KRON) — San Jose police officers will be giving out free 7-Eleven Slurpee coupons now until fall when they see kids doing a good deed, police said.
The deeds can be helping another person, deterring a crime, or participating in a positive community activity, according to police.
The idea is to encourage good behavior among youth during the summer when incidents of loitering, shoplifting and graffiti are up, police said.
“Nothing is more important than positive interactions with our youth,” San Jose police Chief Larry Esquivel said in a statement.
7-Eleven developed what company officials call Operation Chill, police said. Company officials since 1995 have given out nearly 14 million free Slurpee coupons in the U.S., according to police.
Kids whom officers gave coupons to in 1995 may now have their own children who can get a coupon, police said.
This year as many as 1.25 million coupons will be available nationwide, according to police.
The operation started in Philadelphia and is meant to improve police relations with youth, according to police.
“I don’t know who likes the Operation Chill program more, police officers or kids,” 7-Eleven asset protection vice president Mark Stinde said in a statement. “Police officers have told us they love to approach kids and
surprise them with a Slurpee coupon, just for being good citizens.”