A child shows off a comic book he made to Deptford officer Chris Troughton (left) during the two-hour event on July 22.
The township hosted its first Cones with Cops and Council event on July 22, a chance for residents to meet and talk with police officers and council members during what was described as an outdoor ice cream parlor.
“It’s been great,” said Deptford officer Chris Troughton. “We’ve been having a good time with events this summer and any event where I get to eat ice cream is a good one.”
“I think this is a great way to connect with the community, and connecting our residents with our outstanding cops is always a good thing,” noted Councilman Wayne Love.
Dozens came by during the event’s two-hour run time, including families with children. Coloring pages and stickers with police junior officer badges went to kids, one set of whom showed officers small comic books thay created about police.
“I’m hoping to get a different crowd so I can interact with a different group of young people,” said Troughton. “It’s nice for them to get to see the police car. They get to ask me any silly questions. They don’t really get to stop a police officer that’s just working.”
Meanwhile, council members hoped the event would result in positive interactions between themselves and residents.
“Any time you have a gathering like this, you can always have a great communication amongst each other,” Love remarked. “And communication is always good for having a good relationship with the cops, residents and council. That’s what’s important.”
The idea for the ice cream parlor reflected the desire for that communication between legislators and residents. The parks and recreation department also had a hand in the event’s concept.
“We’re trying to work more with the police officers, because they’re the core of the community also,” explained Mayor Paul Medany. “That’s what we all came up with. It’s a collaborative effort between the council, police department and recreation department.”
Since the event was the town’s first, Medany described it as a trial run, with social media declaring a healthy turnout. A second one is likely sometime in the future.
