‘Operation Brain Freeze’

Toms River Police are hoping positive rewards will get kids to wear their bike helmets this summer.

Police Sergeant Gene Bachonski said as part of Operation Brain Freeze, they've partnered with five local ice cream parlors to supply sweet rewards. He said uniformed patrolman in marked vehicles will be out looking for kids who are in compliance with New Jersey's Bike Helmet Law.

"If they see a child that's driving around on anything with wheels on it and they have a helmet on, the officer will stop and they're going to give the child a ticket and that ticket will be good for one free ice cream," according to Bachonski.

Five ice cream parlors spread through out the township are voluntarily participating in the program and will be supplying a total of 500 tickets that will be handed out through September 30th. They are the Yellow Brick Road Ice Cream Carousel, Mrs. Walkers Ice Cream Parlor, Cherry's Ice Cream Store, Summer Sweets and Barnacle Bill's.

Bachonski said the goal of the bike safety program is to encourage helmet compliance through positive interaction. "And really just teach kids that they should be wearing a helmet and explain to them that it really can help and trying to reduce severe head injuries."

According to the Toms River Police Department's press release, the program is funded through a grant from the David D. Hammer Foundation, a nonprofit charity that promotes children's safety as well as donating helmets. You can get more information on their Facebook page here.