OPD unveils ice cream truck with bigger purpose

Christian Mosquera, 7, left, who was the first member of the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County to get his ice cream, gets his ice cream from Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn, right, as Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken, top center, looks on as the Ocala Police Department’s new “Polar Patrol” ice cream truck is revealed at the Ocala Police Department on Thursday. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

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Posted September 17, 2021 | By James Blevins, james@ocalagazette.com

Chief of Police Mike Balken—with the Mayor of Ocala Kent Guinn riding shotgun—drove the Ocala Police Department’s latest addition to the motor pool, the “Polar Patrol” ice cream truck, out to greet a gathered group of kids at OPD headquarters Thursday afternoon.

The children were bused to the headquarters from the nearby Boys & Girls Club of Marion County for the reveal.

The Polar Patrol program is the department’s latest initiative aimed at building positive relationships in the community, especially among children, according to a press release from OPD.

“This is far more than an ice cream truck,” said Balken, reading from prepared remarks, “this is really the latest tool that we’re going to put into our toolbox, to help us engage with our community, to help our outreach programs. We want to readdress community policing on a fundamental level.”

The Polar Patrol will make trips into the community on a regular basis and will be operated by a uniformed police officer. 

Citizens can also expect to see the Polar Patrol at various community events.

Balken gave credit for the idea of the ice cream truck to Scott Hackmyer, a friend and former principal for Marion County Public Schools.

“He approached me with this idea,” said Balken, “and I couldn’t think of a better way to engage with the community. We pitched this to some of our business partners in the community, and they jumped at the chance to sponsor this.”

The program was made possible by donations from multiple sponsors, all of whom wish to remain anonymous, said Jeffrey Walczak, OPD spokesman.

The van, design wrap and ice cream were all donated as well.

“There was no capital cost to the department,” said Walczak. “However, since the vehicle is now part of our fleet, there will be some routine maintenance and fuel cost.”

Mayor Guinn, who oversees the police force, also looks forward to seeing the vehicle in the community.

“I am thankful to a lot of people in the community for investing in this,” he said. “I think it’ll be a great tool to go out into the neighborhoods and to see a police officer when it’s not a bad situation, it’s something fun. So, we’ll be everywhere. I’ll be out there.”

He speculated on getting a dog to go along with the ice cream truck. Balken suggested the name “sprinkles” to the gathered crowd’s approval.

Balken is confident ice cream is an effective tool to get children’s attention.

“Who doesn’t like a cold ice cream on a hot day?” asked Balken. 

Engaging the community is challenging, he said, but it’s important to show a human side to policing when children are still young enough to see it.

“We know that once kids hit their teenage years, it’s a lot harder to win their trust. But kids at this young age,” he said, indicating the gathered crowd, “we can build a relationship with them out of trust. Friendships that allow them to see us for human beings—outside of the badge.”

OPD has several programs that try to push community engagement, but often those programs require a parent to bring the child to the police, Balken said.

This program, on the other hand, allows OPD to come to the kids.

“So, the thought was,” Balken said, “we get an ice cream truck, we load it up with ice cream and we go to them…kids are going to hear that music playing and they’re going to come to us, whether the parents encourage that or not.”

Angelina Senecal, 10, was one of the first Polar Patrol customers. She chose a drumstick ice cream cone. 

“Ice cream is my favorite,” she said, mouth smeared in chocolate. “And it’s really cute,” she added about the penguin design on the side of the van.

Senecal was one of about two dozen children at the unveiling.

“We hope it’s an effective tool,” said Balken. “We hope it reaches many more kids in the future.”