Le Chic Geek
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Last week, I wrote about how it isn’t always legal for police to pull over someone to reward them–even if they are rewarding them with ice cream!
Police in Arlington, VA today decided to spread goodwill with ice cream too. Â But in this case, no traffic stops were needed.
The “Cones with a Cop†event at Goody’s (3125 Wilson Boulevard) gave officers and Arlington residents the opportunity to get to know each other over frozen treats.
Goody’s is a pizza place in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington.
This was an opportunity for residents to meet with cops in the area. Â In addition to scooping ice cream, the officers let little kids sit in the cop cars.
Here’s a picture from a previous year, as well as their advertisement.
I like this approach so much better than the “pulling someone over” approach. Â While I understand there’s a degree of surprise involved in giving someone an ice cream cone instead of a ticket, I think this builds community and trust so much better.
It’s less likely to inadvertently frighten someone (especially out of towners), and allows the people who live directly in the neighborhood to connect with the police.
My community participates in the National Night Out, which uses block parties and other fun neighborhood gatherings to give residents and police the change to connect.
What do you think of this approach to giving out ice cream?
