ST. LOUIS (AP) -- St. Louis police have a new truck -- an ice cream truck.
Police on Tuesday unveiled the new effort to reach out in a positive way to the community.
Police Chief Sam Dotson calls it "Operation Polar Cops," an ice cream truck that will give away ice cream treats at various events and in neighborhoods. Police say the goal is to provide a "fun environment for citizens to have positive interactions with our officers."
St. Louis police, like many other departments around the nation, are trying to soften the often tense relationship with the community it serves. Police in St. Louis have frequently been the subject of protests following fatal shootings of suspects, especially in the two years since Michael Brown's death in nearby Ferguson
