Mac’s Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Positive Youth Program

Initiative helps local police engage with youths by ‘positively ticketing’ them with coupons for a free cold or hot beverage at their local Mac’s convenience store.

July 18, 2017

TORONTO, ONTARIO – Mac’s Convenience Stores is celebrating 10 years of working with Police Services and Crime Stoppers Programs across Ontario to recognize positive youth behavior, which has also reinforced that doing the right thing is also the “cool thing to do.”

Based on the philosophy that recognizing and rewarding youth for good behavior will inspire and motivate others to follow suit, Mac’s developed this positive youth relations program in 2007 as part of its Crime Prevention Through Community Engagement strategy, which is designed to build relationships of trust between youth and police, while reducing incidents of crime at c-stores.

This youth initiative, dubbed Operation Freeze and Operation Heat, provides police officers the opportunity to engage in the “positive ticketing of young people” who are observed doing random acts of kindness or exhibiting positive behavior in the community. The “ticket” is actually a coupon valid for a free small Froster beverage during the spring/summer months and a hot beverage during the fall/winter months at all participating Mac’s stores across Ontario.

In addition to recognizing good behavior by youth, Positive Ticketing offers opportunities for officers to interact with youth in a positive manner. Some officers may use the coupons to recognize youth for wearing bicycle helmets, doing good deeds, participating in community activities, picking up trash, deterring crime or observing school crossing rules, while others may use the coupons to establish a rapport with youth in their patrol area. The intention is to ensure that the Positive Tickets legitimately reinforce the positive behavior exhibited by a youth by offering something of value.

Though the reasons for being positive “ticketed” may vary, the end result is the same for every youngster: a positive police/community experience and a free ice cold Froster or hot beverage at Mac’s.

“Positive community engagement is an essential first step to breaking barriers and building trust,” said Sean Sportun, manager, loss prevention and security for Mac’s in Central Canada. “We are very excited about our 10th anniversary of the Positive Ticketing program and the positive message it continues to deliver.”

Since the introduction of the Positive Ticketing Program, more than 1.3 million ticket coupons have been strategically issued by police officers and Crime Stoppers representatives to recognize and motivate Ontario’s youth for their positive behavior.

In 2010, the Positive Ticketing program was recognized as the largest program of its kind in North America, achieving endorsement from the Government of Canada-Public Safety Canada and the International Association of Chiefs of Police as a strategic, community-based partnership that assists to prevent crime and strengthen communities.

Learn more about Mac’s Convenience Stores Crime Prevention initiatives by visiting www.CircleKCrimeBusters.com.

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