Nathaniel Martin stands in the Hardee’s parking lot, located near Speedway in Glasgow, after he was stopped by Glasgow Police on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020. Martin received $100 from River Lake Church as a part of the “Let Hope In” initiative.
(BRENNAN CRAIN/WCLU NEWS)
GLASGOW, Ky. – What started as a frightful sight of blue lights behind their vehicle ended in the surprise for community members of a good work completed by the Glasgow Police Department and River Lake Church.
The “Let Hope In” initiative began several years ago, and the program continued Tuesday as Glasgow Police handed out over $2,000 to random people during traffic stops.
Robert Jenkins, an eight-year law enforcement veteran, conducted six traffic stops around Glasgow and disbursed the money with the help of Jackie Brown, who frequents River Lake Church.
“I think it’s great. It lightens the mood with the community,” Jenkins said. “They know that we’re not just writing tickets on holidays. I think it’s a good thing to do for any department.”
Officers did not target vehicles specifically, but they did observe minor infractions and conducted the stops.
Tyler Smith, of Glasgow, was driving along South Green Street when he failed to turn on his car’s headlights.
“I never in a million years would have thought I’d be picked for that,” Smith said. “I guess the key to the story is to always put your headlights on, but sometimes honesty can pay off too.”
Smith said he realized his lights were off when Jenkins’ lights went on.
Smith’s daughter, Gracie, was in the backseat of the car, but she didn’t seem to care that her father was pulled over for a possible traffic infraction. Instead, she was thrilled once Jenkins gave her $100.
“I can buy everything I want with this,” she said.
A car traveling along Humble Avenue was stopped when Jenkins noticed their license plate was not illuminated.
“First our headlights went out,” said Teresa Basham. “Then our brake lights went out and now this”
Another car was stopped off Rogers Wells Boulevard. Nathaniel Martin said he had left work, and he wasn’t sure why he was being stopped.
“It is a surprise and a blessing. My family could use this right now. It’s kind of a hard time for us,” Martin said. “I really do appreciate it, and I’m sure they will. They’ll be ecstatic when I let them know why I really got pulled over.”
River Lake Church collectively donated $2,400 to the initiative. Twelve envelopes were handed out during two shifts on Tuesday.
Brown said he has attended the church for more than a year. He said he is passionate about the church’s philanthropic mission. It was his first year participating with “Let Hope In.”
“We’ve been through this pandemic and seemingly there’s not been the smiles we witnessed here tonight,” Brown said.
