Bellevue officer hands out gifts, not tickets

BELLEVUE – The penalty for rolling through a stop sign Monday night in this small town was a sandwich.

A broken headlight might mean a dinner for two.

Bellevue Police Officer Edward Michela was handing out more gift cards than tickets four days before Christmas, and he was having fun.

"When they get stopped for an infraction they are going to think they are going to get a ticket," Michela said sitting in a dark patrol car. "But it's that old saying: 'It's better to give than receive.' I love to see the expression on people's faces."

Michela, 43, an officer in the Eaton County village since 2000, decided he wanted to give a little during the holiday season.

He saw a story about Lowell police officers giving gifts to motorists and then another about a sheriff's deputy in Florida handing out gift cards.

"When I saw the story in Lowell, I said I wished I could do something like that," Michela said. "So I was in Kohls and went kind of crazy on gift cards."

He used is own money to buy six $15 cards for Subway and four $25 cards for Applebees.

He cleared his idea with his chief and village manager and Monday started his gift-giving when Timothy Smith, 56, of Olivet, didn't come to a complete stop at an intersection.

"I thought I stopped," Smith told Michela after pulling into a bank parking lot.

The officer took Smith's driver's license, went back to the patrol car and then returned with a Subway card.

"I am very surprised," Smith said, holding the card. "I don't need it."

But Michela, insisted, suggested he always come to a complete stop and wished him a Merry Christmas.

Diane Simons, 53, of Bellevue, also insisted, "I know I stopped," when Michela stopped her for the same violation. "I have never had a ticket."

She first told the officer she would give the Applebee's card to someone else but then added, "but I love Applebees."

"Bellevue rocks," she said. "I am very blessed. I am very thankful. But did I run the stop sign?"

"Yes, you did," Michela said. "Merry Christmas."

It was the same with two more stops.

Christof Doubleday, 28, of Battle Creek, said "I am pretty impressed with this," after he was stopped for a burned out headlight.

And Jennifer Wolf, 26, of Battle Creek and the daughter and wife of Battle Creek police officers, said she was surprised by the gift card after she was stopped for having only one working headlight.

"I am not used to this luck," she said.

Michela who plans to distribute more cards in the final days before Christmas, said he was having fun giving something other than tickets.

But it was a reminder for people about the importance of police officers.

"It is important for them to know that we are not just here to write tickets and take people to jail, and we will go into a burning house if we have to. We will risk our lives to save that life because we care."

He said the message is especially important since events in Ferguson, Missouri and New York City.

"We care or we wouldn't be doing this, and I can say that about our officers, about Battle Creek officers, the Michigan State Police and every deputy and Olivet police. This is what we do and it is why we do it because we care about people."

He said while Christmas is a joyous time, it also can be difficult for some people.

"It can be the worst time of the year for some people, but instead, seeing people happy gives you a chill up your spine. It is awesome to give this time of year. It gives you a warm and fuzzy."

Call Trace Christenson at 966-0685. Follow him on Twitter: @TSChristenson.