Kids Scream For Free Ice Cream Thanks To Camden Police

By Kristen Johanson

CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) - The Camden Police Department sponsored a free ice cream giveaway Sunday as a way to bond with the community.

Kids flocked, like a moth to a flame, to the rolling singing Mister Softee truck, only to find city police officers greeting them with a smile, and, of course, an ice cream.

For Lisa and her two little cousins, it was a welcomed surprise:

"This is amazing.  I walked and I thought they was kidding. I mean we came to pay for it, and they said, 'oh no, ice cream, the polices are paying for it,' and I was like, 'oh, that's great.'  It's a wonderful thing."

Charles brought his three-year-old daughter and says he would like to see more of this positive outreach from police:

"Just like we could say, there's more than what meets the eye in a bad neighborhood, with different types of people, there's different type of police officers.  It's a great thing that they're doing for us here."

Sergeant Rapheal Thornton says this is much bigger than a frozen treat:

"When you see this uniform, I want it to be an automatic connection that, that is somebody I can trust. As police officers, we have to bridge that gap. I mean, In light of recent events, we have to win back the public's trust.

He says it's just one of the many summer activities they have planned:

"Getting actually back to the roots of community policing, whereas the police officer is a part of the community, not a force in the community."

And Thornton adds he hopes this memory sticks to them like sprinkles to the swirl.