For the Flohr family, the draw of Maricopa’s Cops and Cones event was pretty simple: free ice cream.
Tortosa resident Dillon Flohr brought his children to the annual event Wednesday after they heard about it at school. The kids were excited to get badges and meet police officers.
His son Elijah, a fifth grader, thought their gear made police “look cool.” Sixth grader Cadence, meanwhile, said even though she has relatives in law enforcement, she was looking forward to meeting an officer.
For Maricopa Police Chief Mark Goodman, those interactions are exactly why the department hosts the event.
Cops and Cones gives residents a chance to meet officers outside of a call for service and helps build relationships between police and the community.
“The idea is that people come and get to meet the officers who actually serve them 24/7, 365, so that they can put faces to names and start developing relationships, which is important for our community policing mission,” Goodman said.
He said some residents may be hesitant to approach police because of their uniforms or the circumstances in which they typically encounter officers.
“We want to use events like this to sort of break down those barriers,” he said. “We’re approachable, and we want to have those relationships with folks that we can serve them better.”
The interactions also give officers a chance to learn more about the people they serve, Goodman said.
The department also had several cadets present who were preparing to enter the police academy. Goodman said they’re learning an important lesson before beginning their careers.
“I like to say before you can lead, you have to learn how to serve,” he said.
![Maricopa Pantry co-founders Jim and Alice Shoaf speak to a small crowd at the food bank's groundbreaking of its permanent location in Hidden Valley on Nov. 20, 2025. [Monica D. Spencer]](https://inmaricopa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/spencer-112025-maricopa-pantry-groundbreaking-3-300x200.jpg)
![Maricopa Pantry co-founders Jim and Alice Shoaf speak to a small crowd at the food bank's groundbreaking of its permanent location in Hidden Valley on Nov. 20, 2025. [Monica D. Spencer]](https://inmaricopa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/spencer-112025-maricopa-pantry-groundbreaking-3-150x150.jpg)
One Response
Let me know when you have the Flock Cameras to cones and Smart Poles to cones events,maybe that would convince me to trust them break down the barriers?NOT! And I say you have to be transparent before you can be trusted.