Lawrence Police are taking an active role getting bicycle helmets to children who don’t have them.

Police have begun handing out “free helmet” vouchers to children spotted riding bicycles or scooters without a helmet. Officers also are handing out ice cream coupons to reward children who do wear helmets.

The vouchers can be redeemed at all Lawrence fire stations.

A 2004 city ordinance requires anyone younger than 16 to wear a helmet while riding a bike, scooter, skateboard or skates. Instead of having a penalty, it calls for violators to be given helmet vouchers.

But until this past week, there was no system in place for officers on the street to hand vouchers to children spotted without helmets.

Helmet safety resurfaced as an issue earlier this year after the death of Bryce Olsen, a 6-year-old Prairie Park School student who was struck and killed while riding his scooter without a helmet.

Police spokesman Sgt. Dan Ward said the new system was scheduled to begin this spring even before Olsen’s death.