The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office announced its new partnership with Lights On!, an award-winning national program designed to help build and foster trust between communities and law enforcement.
“The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is committed to finding meaningful ways to have positive interactions with those we serve. Lights On! is an innovative approach to demonstrate compassion and understanding for those who may need assistance in fixing a minor vehicle code violation,” said Sheriff Christina Corpus.
During the presentation of this new alliance, Corpus highlighted that this program “is a victory for everyone, as it creates safer streets and fosters positive relationships between law enforcement and the public.”
The Lights On! program also helps ensure that vehicles are displaying proper lighting equipment, creating safer roads for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.
It is worth noting that during a traffic stop for an infraction involving a headlight, taillight, brake light or turn signal, officers may issue a voucher instead of a fine, which recipients can take to one of the pre-designated garages, which will repair or replace the light free of charge (up to $250).
In this way, Light's On! reimburses the workshop for the repair or repairs.
Officials said these vouchers help reduce the financial burden that could lead to a potential downward spiral for community members in need.
“The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is the first agency in the San Francisco Bay Area to partner with Light’s On! We look forward to working together to close gaps, heal communities, and provide a positive path to safer streets,” added Sheriff Corpus.
It is important to note that Lights On! vouchers are not available on-demand and will only be provided at a San Mateo County Sheriff's Office stop.
“We don’t just say we’re part of the community, we actively invest in it,” said Sheriff Corpus, noting that this program is in addition to the speech therapy program for children and the swimming program launched last summer.
With this program, he added, “people experiencing financial hardship are freed from the choice between repairs, paying their rent or putting food on the table; they can now work with us to rethink problem solving at a routine vehicle stop.”
For his part, Sherman Patterson, vice president of Lights On!, highlighted that, since 2017, when the organization was founded in Minneapolis, to date, nearly 11 thousand vouchers have been redeemed throughout the country.
and 99.2% of recipients say they are satisfied or very satisfied with their interaction with the officer who gave them the voucher. satisfied or very satisfied with their interaction with the officer who gave them the voucher Lights on!
Thus, San Mateo joins the 32 cities where Lights On! already operates.
View this post on Instagram
You may be interested in: San Mateo County will allocate $35 million to innovative ideas that improve local life
