BRUNSWICK – Nobody likes getting a citation from the police. But law enforcement officials in this town and around Maine are hoping to change public attitudes with a new program that awards commemorative coins to good Samaritans.

The program rewards residents who commit “extraordinary acts of kindness” with a coin bearing police logos. The goal is to forge stronger ties between law enforcement officials and the public.

“When I was a police officer on the street, there were a number of times that ordinary citizens helped me, but I had no way to show my appreciation. It’s a very inexpensive way of saying thank you,” said Richard Mears, who came up with the idea on behalf of the Maine Community Policing Institute in Augusta.

The coin program, which took effect Feb. 1, empowers officers to recognize residents who act unselfishly in helping others. Each officer must fill out a presentation card explaining the circumstances under which the coin was awarded and identifying the recipient.

Mears says police departments in Augusta, Bath, Brunswick and Lewiston, along with the sheriff’s departments in York and Waldo counties and a state police troop in York County, have agreed to participate in a six-month trial program. Each agency paid $250 to receive 500 coins.

If the program proves successful, it will be broadened to include police departments across the state.

Brunswick Police Chief Jerry Hinton has encouraged officers to be vigilant in recognizing acts of kindness or helpfulness, requiring that each employee carry one of the coins during shifts. “I am leaving this decision entirely up to the employee,” Hinton said. “It has got to be something that they see with their own eyes. Hopefully, it will make our officers look for good deeds.”

Paul Hansen, a Brunswick policeman, was among the first officers to hand out a commemorative coin. On Feb. 1, he stopped to help a motorist whose van had slid off Mere Point Road.

Dr. Anthony Tomassoni, 46, of Cape Elizabeth arrived a short while later and helped dig the van out of the snowbank before attaching a tow strap to his pickup truck and pulling the van back onto the road.

“People had done the same thing for me. I just thought I’d return the favor,” Tomassoni said.

Tomassoni initially was embarrassed by the recognition, but he said the coin program may prove to be positive.