Best of Cleveland 2017: Community Policing Project

This police vehicle doesn’t need a siren to make us pull over — just some frozen treats. When the 2016 Republican National Convention left the Cleveland Division of Police with a spare van, Cmdr. Johnny Johnson, head of the Bureau of Community Policing, had a tasty community outreach idea. Rather than build another paddy wagon, the van became the “Let’s Chill Together” ice cream truck. “The key was to have officers make connections with people in their districts,” Johnson says. Wrapped with colorful artwork, the van was stocked with 10,000 donated Pierre’s Ice Cream treats. Officers from Cleveland’s five districts trucked to 35 community events to hand out All American Pops, ice cream sandwiches and Slide-Ups Orange Sherbet. At the mayor’s Night Out Against Crime in August, they handed out 1,000 free ice creams in just 45 minutes. While ice cream season is over, Johnson and his officers hope to hit the road again next summer. “What I didn’t anticipate was how much fun the officers were having,” he says. “They really got into it.” city.cleveland.oh.us/police, 216-623-5080