Fresno police officer Mario Toscano's assignment Wednesday was almost the reverse of his usual duties: Instead of citing bad drivers, he was out to find a few good ones.
Toscano and other officers in the department's traffic division took part in a safety effort that rewarded motorists doing things right with a $50 gas card paid for by the Allstate insurance company.
Winners were tough to weed out. For each good driver, Toscano spotted several who would ordinarily be cited for things such as violating crosswalk laws or using a cell phone while at the wheel.
One of the first winners spotted by Toscano was Laura Quezada, who was using her turn signals and wearing a seat belt while driving down First Street near Ventura Avenue.
After she was pulled over, Quezada's emotions went from fear to relief faster than a speeding scofflaw rocketing away from an intersection. Told that she was getting the $50 card, she covered her face and began laughing.
"Are you sure you're a cop?" she joked. Then, "Did you see my license plate frame?" (It read, "I know, I know, license and registration.")
Asked about her reactions to the stop, Quezada said: "You guys scared the hell out of me. ... I thought, 'What did I do?' "
That was a common first thought for most winners, even though Toscano was quick to say, "Hello! I stopped you for a good thing."
Anita Harris, pulled over on R Street just north of Ventura, reacted by clapping her hands when she heard the news.
"Oh my goodness," she said. "How cool! Thank you guys so much."
Jesus Olivera, who was driving in a southwest Fresno neighborhood where there have been several shootings, said he was happy for the police presence, but surprised to be a winner of the gas card.
"I've heard of this happening in other cities. But for it to happen to me? Wow. Wow."
Police Capt. Andy Hall said the campaign was a first for Fresno. The city was picked because Fresno leads California's major urban areas with the lowest auto collision frequency. In all, $10,000 worth of cards were handed out. City employees or friends of officers were not eligible for the reward.
Copyright 2011 - The Fresno Bee, Calif.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
