As soon as the neighborhood kids and their parents heard the truck, they approached and were surprised when Officer Humphreys offered to pay.
It’s not often you see a police officer buying a person ice cream from an ice cream truck, let alone an entire neighborhood, but that is exactly what Officer Shawn Humphreys, from the City of Lawrenceville Police Department, did when out on patrol last week.
It was a very hot day and temperatures had soared into the high 90s. Officer Humphreys had just assisted on a traffic stop where a wanted man was taken to jail. After dealing with the incident, the officer saw an ice cream truck turn into the street where he was parked. As soon as the neighborhood kids and their parents heard the truck, they approached and were surprised when Officer Humphreys offered to pay.
When asked why he did this, Officer Humphreys said: “The last thing they remember is that the police bought them ice cream – with everything going on at the moment, it is important to leave a good impression on the community, especially with the children. It was great just seeing them smile.”
The Guardians of the Night put their lives on the line every day to keep the public safe, but they also perform random acts of kindness that often go unnoticed and unreported. With so much mistrust of law enforcement these days, it’s important to remember that they are people too, with families that love them, as well as communities that rely on them to keep the peace.