Cleona Borough Police held an “Ice Cream with Cops” event with students of Cleona Elementary School on Wednesday afternoon.
Grouped by grade and class, around 300 students walked from the elementary school to Cleona Playground to eat ice cream sandwiches and look at police vehicles.
Police Chief Jeffrey Farneski came up with the idea for the event to allow students to interact with police officers and learn more about their jobs.
School resource officer John Maldonado explained that the event was planned to allow students to see officers in a new context.
“Since I’ve started the SRO program, it’s been different with the kids,” said Maldonado, explaining the changes he’s seen in student attitudes since he began at the district six years ago. “When I’d first come in, they would be like, ‘Oh, there’s a policeman here.’ Now, they kind of know who I am, and it’s easier for them to talk to us when they see us as regular people.”
Maldonado described his role at Annville-Cleona School District as including law-related education, mentoring, occasional counseling, and school security.
The ice cream provided to students Wednesday was donated by the Cleona Giant, Maldonado added.
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