Brooklyn Center Police Work To Rebuild Trust by Sharing a “Cone With a Cop”
Brooklyn Center police are giving community members a chance to have a “Cone with a Cop.” It’s an effort designed to rebuild community trust.
Officers joined the community at the Brooklyn Center Farmers Market on Thursday evening. They offered ice cream treats and a chance to stop and ask questions.
Commander Garett Flesland said the idea was born several years ago. The department has held other events like “Coffee with a Cop” in the past, all with the same goal.
“We encounter people in their worst days, their worst events all the time,” Flesland said. “But there’s so much more to police work, there’s so much more to community service and there’s so much more to helping your fellow neighbors. It is important to see that we aren’t just there arresting people. We are helping people.”
A community rebuilds
It’s been over two years since the Brooklyn Center officer-involved shooting of Daunte Wright.
Former Brooklyn Center officer Kim Potter was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted of both first- and second-degree manslaughter
City and community leaders have worked together on a number of police reform measures, which take time to implement.
In the meantime, Flesland said his department is open to tough questions.
“Let’s try and figure out how do we improve where we are? Let’s improve in that direction,” Flesland said. “We can’t oftentimes have these dialogues in the middle of chaos. So, let’s have them over an ice cream cone; let’s have them over a cup of coffee.”
He said officers are encouraged to answer openly and honestly.
Children climb into Commander Garett Flesland’s police car.
These events also give kids and community members an opportunity to look inside the squad car and learn about officers’ equipment.
“Cone with a Cop” and related events are held monthly at different locations. More information about upcoming and past events is available on the police’s Facebook page.
