One police department Virginia is pulling over unsuspecting drivers and handing out ice cream cones instead of tickets, according to KTLA sister station WTKR.
This latest attempt at developing better relations between police and the communities they serve comes from Halifax, Virginia, where Police Chief Kevin Lands and his officers have been stopping drivers and making them aware of “Vehicle code 1739” — driving on a hot day without an ice cream cone.
When asked why he did it, Chief Lands said that he and Officer Warner, “wanted to try and put some smiles on people’s faces.”
Officer Brian Warner told WSET they pulled over 20 people Friday, but handed out the tasty treats instead of tickets.
One such stop was captured on video, which has been viewed more than four million times on a Facebook page belonging to Kevin Lands.
The video shows an officer after he pulling over a female driver and telling her she was pulled over because she was driving on a hot day without ice cream. She erupts in laughter after he hands her the frozen dessert.
“Her reaction was absolutely the best,” Warner said. “It was genuine, and she had us smiling and laughing for a good hour afterwards, and I’ve probably watched the video myself 50 times just laughing… and that’s one of the great things with police work you get to meet people like that on a daily basis, and it makes the job worth it.”
