TASTY TICKETS; POLICE REWARD KIDS FOR PRACTICING SAFETY.

Byline: Jesse Hiestand Staff Writer

Eight-year-old Jose Ortiz spied the swirling lights of an LAPD cruiser over his shoulder Friday, dropped his dirt bike and took four nervous steps away from Los Angeles police Officer Wayne Goodman.

Goodman squawked his car's horn and told the youngster to stop.

A few tense moments later, Jose gingerly accepted a slip of paper from the officer - a coupon good for one free Slurpee frozen drink at a 7-Eleven.

``You were wearing your bike helmet - that's the right thing to do,'' Goodman said to the youngster along Cobalt Street.

A surprised Jose realized he'd been rewarded for being safe, just as thousands of other kids will be over the next four months through Operation Chill, a public safety campaign sponsored by the convenience-store chain.

``I thought I was in trouble,'' said Jose, a fourth-grader who said he enjoyed his chance encounter with the police. ``I know that they're good people. They take care of us.''

LAPD officials plan to hand out about 250,000 Slurpee vouchers by Dec. 31 to bolster their image with youngsters and encourage them to buckle up, stay in crosswalks and obey traffic laws.

In some cases, teen-age drivers will be pulled over as if they were being cited, only to be given the coupons for yielding to pedestrians, coming to a full stop at traffic signs and other acts of traffic safety.

``We relish the chance to do something positive,'' said Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Michael Bostic, the San Fernando Valley's top police official. ``So when we pull people over to say, Hey, we just want to give you something, they will look at us kind of funny, but it's a great icebreaker.''

Bostic joined other Valley police commanders, Los Angeles City Councilman Alex Padilla, 7-Eleven officials and 21 police explorers in announcing the program at a press conference outside the 7-Eleven in the 14100 block of Foothill Boulevard.

For the first time since its inception five years ago, Operation Chill will take place across the San Fernando Valley and in all 18 Los Angeles Police Department divisions.

Since 1995, the program has distributed more than 3 million coupons through 270 police agencies.

The 250,000 coupons given to the LAPD is the largest quantity ever offered to one police agency, officials said.

``The program was started as our response to the summertime problems of loitering, graffiti and shoplifting,'' said John Ragsdale, loss prevention manager for 7-Eleven stores in Los Angeles. ``Who can put a dollar value on a quarter million acts of safety, good behavior and kindness?''

The potential good will between kids and police, and the chance to encourage safety are far more valuable than the cost of the Slurpees, said Ron Hannah, who oversees all 7-Eleven stores in the Valley for the chain's parent company, The Southland Corporation.

``If we instill these values in our youngsters by rewarding a good deed, it could pay off for generations to come,'' Hannah said.

The first coupon was ceremoniously handed out to several police explorers, including 15-year-old Vanessa Perplies.

``People need motivation to do good things, so if it's Slurpees, why not?'' Perplies said. ``It's summer, they're hot, and it teaches them responsibilities and that if they do good things for the community, they'll be rewarded.''

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2 Photos

Photo: (1--Color) Joey Espinoza, 10, left, reacts to the cold of his free Slurpee while Cris Soza, 9, enjoys two free drinks as part of Operation Chill.

(2) Lesvia Ortiz watches intently as LAPD Officer Wayne Goodman gives her son, Jose, 8, a ``ticket,'' which is actually a coupon for a free Slurpee presented to the boy because he was wearing his helmet while biking.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer