The Orange County Sheriff’s Office has purchased an ice cream truck using money seized from convicted drug dealers, bringing treats directly to local neighborhoods. Sheriff John Mina said the program is designed to reinvest forfeited funds into community engagement and crime prevention.

“Every year, our deputies arrest hundreds and hundreds of drug dealers and, of course, we seize the money derived from these sales,” Mina said on Fox & Friends First. “Through state and federal forfeiture laws, we are able to purchase training and equipment for our deputies, but some of that money has to go back into the community for crime prevention programs, drug prevention initiatives, and kids’ mentoring programs.”

The sheriff explained that ice cream was chosen intentionally as a non-threatening way for children to interact with law enforcement, particularly in areas where police presence is often associated with arrests or emergencies.

“Here, they get to see us in a positive light,” Mina said. “We’re handing out free ice cream, talking with them, joking around, and it’s a light way to engage with our kids.”

The program has attracted attention from law enforcement agencies nationwide, with other sheriffs and police chiefs expressing interest in replicating the initiative. Among the eight flavors offered, strawberry shortcake has quickly become a favorite among children.