FINDLAY, Ohio (WLIO) – Hancock County residents had the chance to share a scoop of ice cream with local law enforcement during the final Cops and Cones event of the summer.
The Fort Findlay FOP Lodge #20 Foundation, Dietsch Brothers Fine Chocolates & Ice Cream, and McGuire & Sons Trucking teamed up to hand out hundreds of free scoops of ice cream. The program was held once a month in June, July and August, giving people the chance to enjoy a treat while also interacting with members of the Findlay Police Department and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.
“The interaction is important. I mean, you can see the way that it is with children. Giving children free ice cream is absolutely amazing. But when you take and look three feet up and you see the smiles on the police officers faces, that's really important as well. People are happy to see them when they're at work, when you and I normally see a police officer, it's on our worst possible day dealing with our worst possible incident today, people are happy to see them, and the effect that has on their mental health is immeasurable,” said Teresa White, director of the Fort Findlay FOP Lodge #20 Foundation.
Organizers say making connections with children is key to building trust in the future.
“We want them to learn and understand that police officers are the helpers that if they have a situation, if they have a problem, that they can go to law enforcement and they can get that remedy, and events like this help them to be able to see police officers as those helpers, as a safe place, not just a robot with a badge,” White said.
White added that more than 700 scoops of ice cream were given out this summer, and she expects the event to return again next year.
