I recently shared an "ice cream truck" memory with Van and Bonnie. I grew up in a suburban neighborhood in St. Louis with a lot of families that had kids that were my age. During the hot months, many houses chose to not run the air conditioning on most days - instead opening the front door and using the screen door to let fresh air into the house.
So when the music of the ice cream truck was heard, I could hear the screams of excitement down the street. We'd yell at mom to give us some money before the truck (sloooooowly) went by. I wanted a bomb pop, of course. I even told the story about how some kids would stand on the side of the road just to wave the driver off as he pulled over - I WASN'T won of those mean kids.
Ice cream trucks make people happy and the Denver police department has decided to take advantage of that. I know the Des Moines police department is EXCELLENT at community outreach...so I am HOPING they'll borrow this idea.
The Denver Police Department is getting into the ice cream business to help them connect with the community. The "Copsicle Cruiser" began stopping by community pools and other locations on Friday. To make sure everyone knows it’s the Copsicle Cruiser, they opt not not to play ice cream truck music, but the theme from “Cops.”
Police Chief Paul Pazen says the cruiser is an idea his officers come up with to serve some of the city's most underserved communities. DPD gets the ice cream through donations from Safeway. The cruiser will be sent out at least eight times a month to hand out the cool treats throughout the summer.