St. Louis police officers to hand out candy to build relationships with area youth

St. Louis police officers will begin handing out candy to children in order to improve community relations.

What are the details?

KSDK-TV reported that St. Louis police officers will begin the new program on Monday with hopes to foster positive officer-youth relationships.

St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden on Sunday tweeted, "Starting tomorrow @SLMPD Officers will begin to distribute candy from their patrol cars to build relationships with youth in our community. It's the little things that often do the most good."

Starting tomorrow @SLMPD Officers will begin to distribute candy from their patrol cars to build relationships with youth in our community. It's the little things that often do the most good.

— John Hayden (@ChiefJohnHayden) February 18, 2018

KSDK reported that the force's aim with the new candy program is to "help kids and teenagers see police in a more positive light."

The network added that the concept was inspired by Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards, "whose trust for police officers stemmed from childhood of them handing out candy and baseball cards."

Anything else?

The latest program is similar to a summer program the police force implemented, "Operation Polar Cops."

"Operation Polar Cops," unveiled in 2016, is a police-owned ice cream truck operated by the Community Engagement/Organizational Development Division, which provides free frozen desserts to children in the St. Louis area.

According to the program's website, "The mission of Operation Polar Cops is to cultivate positive interactions between our officers and the citizens we serve."