MONTOURSVILLE, Pa. -- Police in Montoursville are hoping to brighten up their community this holiday by encouraging residents to get involved in an annual Christmas lights competition.
A perk of patrolling around the holiday, officers like Deputy Chief Jason Bentley also get the chance to see Montoursville light up with decorations.
Over the next few weeks, police and the mayor of Montoursville will be searching and voting to find their favorite holiday decorations in the borough. Thanks to donations from businesses, six winners will be chosen and each will get a $50 gift card to stores including Walmart and Lowe's.
It's the first year the police have helped judge the competition.
"It's our busiest time of the year for us. It's good for our officers to make sure they are out there. This is one good thing of many things that we can be doing to make sure we are driving by every house and being in every neighborhood," Deputy Chief Bentley said.
Elery W. Nau, a hardware store in Montoursville, has also donated a few gift cards to the borough for the contest.
"People put a lot of time and effort into their Christmas lights and decorations. It's a festive time of year. It's really cool our borough thought this time around to do a prize for the contest," said employee Paul Early.
For Deputy Chief Bentley, this is another way to get involved in the community.
"We're not just a patrol car going by. They know who we are, and they can talk with us and have a relationship," said Bentley.
The mayor hopes to announce the winners before Christmas.