The Chula Vista Police Department launched its Acts of Kindness Campaign last month to create opportunities to connect with the community in a unique way.
Police officers are handing out $50 Walmart gift cards to community members as a simple act of kindness while carrying out their regular duties serving the community. According to CVPD Sgt. Tony Molina, the gift cards are funded by an anonymous donation of $5,000 in honor of the late Chief Rick Emerson, who passed away on April 4, 2021.
Officers will distribute gift cards until they run out with the ultimate goal of finding opportunities to engage with community members in this unexpected way. There are no official rules to the campaign, but the department said officers hope to catch people being kind or helpful, doing the right thing, or perhaps just in need of an uplifting connection, and offer them a gift card as an act of kindness.
According to Molina, the CVPD understands that it takes a community of people working together, in partnership with their police department, to maintain safe streets and neighborhoods.
