CRESTVIEW — When it’s a hot summer day in Florida and an ice-cold popsicle would sure hit the spot, who can you call? The police?
Actually, the police might just show up unbidden with a selection of popsicles — make that “copsicles” — to choose from.
That’s what happened June 24 when the Crestview Police Department’s “Copsicle Cruiser” made the rounds, popping up unannounced in several locations around town.
Under the agency’s community outreach program, the police department’s crime scene vehicle, a former ambulance, was adapted for use as an ice cream truck, staffed by Community Services police officers and support staff, including summer interns.
The unit first rolled last summer during the Police Department’s series of “pop-ups,” which included hotdog roasts and ice cream handouts. All the pop-ups are free, with the food donated by local businesses and individuals.
For several hours, the Copsicle Cruiser popped up at Crestview Housing Authority complexes, Allen Park and the children’s playground and splashpad at Twin Hills Park.
“It was a hot day, so we were pretty popular,” Community Services Officer Chris Andersen said.
To find out when and where the Copsicle Cruiser will show up next, follow the Crestview Police Department’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/CrestviewPD. To donate popsicles for future pop-ups, give the police a call at 850-682-3544.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Copsicle Cruiser makes the rounds