FARMINGTON — Police officers often say no traffic stop is routine.

Some drivers in Farmington found that true Monday when Farmington police officer Darin Gilbert had more than a warning to give them.

The Police Department was given funds to distribute at their discretion, Gilbert explained to an older couple he stopped Monday as the two traveled Lucy Knowles Road on their way to shop.

Along with a warning, he handed them an envelope containing Chamber Bucks from the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. Chamber Bucks are gift certificates that can be spent at over 50 businesses in Franklin County.

“We wish you happy holidays,” he said, sending them on their way.

An anonymous family has given the Farmington Police Department money to hand out gift cards in memory of former Police Chief Richard E. Caton III, Chief Jack Peck said Monday.

In the spirit of giving and to honor his memory, over $1,000 was donated to start The REC Project, which stands for “Remember Every Christmas.” The letters are also Caton’s initials, he said.

Caton passed away in July 2011 from complications due to leukemia, he said. He was a 35-year police veteran and served as Farmington’s police chief for 12 years.

The Police Department’s Benevolent Association also donated funds to the cause and purchased the Chamber Bucks, Peck said.

“There is no specific criteria for choosing who an officer may give them to,” Peck said. “This is a first for us and we’ll consider how this year goes. It is up to the officer’s discretion. If they come in contact and they feel it is the right fit and a person or family can benefit, they can give them out, he said.

Initially, the department considered giving out cash, but then decided to spread the cheer and buy the Chamber Bucks to spend in local businesses, he said.

In his 15 years as a police officer, Gilbert has made about 16,000 vehicle stops. In less than four hours, he had already made 19 stops by the time he received the Chamber Bucks Monday morning.

“You see things,” he said of those stops and the gut feelings officers develop. “There are good stops and bad stops, but none are routine.”

Perhaps it is an older vehicle or one with car seats with or without children, he said of those he would consider giving a gift certificate. A person with 10-day plates on a new Volkswagen gets a warning but no Chamber Bucks, he said.

Gilbert stops the cruiser and holds up a radar detector, spotting vehicles above the 35 mph speed limit. He records their speed up to about 2,200 feet away — long before they spot him, he said, as this Sun Journal reporter rode with him.

He also watches for other violations, such as lapsed registrations or poor tires.

A third-generation police officer, Gilbert continues to make stops Monday morning, mostly for minimal infractions. 

Gilbert stopped a vehicle traveling a few miles over the limit. A couple in their 70s told him they have grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He checked the driver’s license and registration, then went back to tell the driver how the Police Department had been given funds to distribute at their discretion.

“He was very happy,” Gilbert said. “He said, ‘God bless you’ to me and thanked me very much. His wife was all smiles.”

“A traffic stop doesn’t need to be a negative event,” he said. “You just treat people the way you want to be treated.”

Officers with the department will be handing out the gift cards over the next few days to celebrate Chief Caton’s memory, Peck said. They will likely be given out by Christmas.

abryant@sunmediagroup.net