NORWAY — For the second consecutive winter, Police Department officers will deliver salted sand to older homebound residents for their walkways.

Operation Sandbox was Police Chief Rob Federico’s idea, Detective Gary Hill said Monday.

“All we’re doing is checking in on folks who aren’t able to get sand or salt themselves at the town garage and providing them with it,” Hill said. “Every now and then, we’ll salt and sand their walkways so they can get to their mailbox, but we’re not trying to take business away from anyone.”

Residents who need help getting salt and sand for winter storms can call the Police Department at 743-5303 and ask to be placed on the delivery list, Hill said.

“All they have to do is give us a call, we’ll add them to the list, and we’ll provide a bucket of salt and sand mixture ahead of a winter storm,” Hill said.

Operation Sandbox is also a way for officers to check on people, he said.

“There are a lot of residents out there who we may not see often, and this program is a great opportunity to connect with people in the public,” Hill said. “We’ve also looked at several programs out there where officers check on people in specific demographics that ask us to check in on them.”

mdaigle@sunmediagroup.net