June 07--MANASSAS, Va. -- Manassas police are expected to "ticket" 1,250 children this summer.

But it's for a good cause.

Instead of a citation for a trip to the local jail, these special tickets will entitle a young person to one free small Slurpee from participating 7-Eleven stores as part of the company's Operation Chill initiative, said Manassas police Crime Prevention Specialist Adrienne Helms.

To get the ticket, an officer must witness the child helping others, deterring crime or participating in a positive activity in the community, police said. Helms called these actions "appropriate offenses."

Uniformed officers aren't the only ones who plan on handing out the rewards--plain-clothed officials and detectives will be participating, too, Helms said.

The tickets can be given any time a law enforcement official is on duty--either while responding to an incident, or when on patrol, officers said.

Police said it is common for neighborhoods to see more people loitering, shoplifting and leaving graffiti in places during the summer.

Helms said the program will help curb those offenses and also improve officers' relations with children.

City police enjoy taking part in the initiative.

"The officers themselves are very enthusiastic about the program," Helms said. "It gives them a chance to bond with the youth."

Police Chief Douglas W. Keen fully supports the program, too.

"The coupons are a great way to encourage interaction between officers and the community," he said in a news release.

7-Eleven officials were proud of the results from the program in recent years.

"This program is a big hit with both law enforcement agencies and kids," 7-Eleven Zone Asset Protection Manager Bill Macaluso said in a news release.

There is no age minimum or maximum for kids to be rewarded, officers said.

The 1,250 coupons expected to be given to young ones this year is only part of the reward--Helms said participating law enforcement agencies across the country will issue more than 1 million "tickets" through the program this year.

More than 10 million coupons have been distributed to nationwide law enforcement since the program started, according to 7-Eleven.

Staff writer David Pierce can be reached at 703-530-3905.

Copyright 2012 - News & Messenger, Manassas, Va.