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The patrol that refreshes for PoMo police

Jason Maschke loves lemonade. He loves it so much, he keeps a bottle of concentrate in his desk at the Port Moody Police Department, where he’s a community relations officer, so he can quickly mix up a batch whenever the thirst for it strikes him.
Jason Maschke
Jason Maschke, a community relations officer with Port Moody Police, pours himself a glass of refreshing lemonade. He posted a message on social media asking for locations of kids' lemonade stands in the city this summer so he can share them with his thirsty fellow officers on the force, and maybe build some relationships along the way.

Jason Maschke loves lemonade.

He loves it so much, he keeps a bottle of concentrate in his desk at the Port Moody Police Department, where he’s a community relations officer, so he can quickly mix up a batch whenever the thirst for it strikes him.

But making a pitcher of lemonade isn’t easy when you’re driving around in a patrol car on a hot day with the window rolled down so you can be vigilante for any sounds of trouble.

Maschke had an idea.

He put the word out on social media for local kids and their families to let the department know about their summertime lemonade stand efforts so officers might be able to stop by for a little cool, sweet refreshment. And maybe forge important relationships along the way.

So far Maschke’s heard from three young Port Moody lemonade entrepreneurs, as well as several from Coquitlam which he’s shared with that city’s RCMP so they can stay hydrated too.

But Maschke said buying a lemonade from a kid parked behind a card table at the end of their driveway is about more than getting a refreshing beverage.

“It’s about kids putting down their electronic devices and being creative to make the signs, getting mom and dad involved to set up the stand,” said Maschke, who’s been a officer for more than 20 years, the last seven in Port Moody.

Maschke said being a kid entrepreneur is a universal childhood experience, whether it’s hawking lemonade, toys or — like he did with his brothers growing up in Napanee, Ont. — worms. And making those sales, especially to an adult, can be a hugely enriching and influential experience.

“That nervous anticipation of your first customer, it’s a big deal,” Maschke said.

And the payoff is more than just coins collected in a jar or plastic cup.

“There’s a feeling of pride a kid gets that they did all this, they made this happen without wifi,” Maschke said.

His pitch has also proved popular with fellow officers, who are eager to sample the lemonade efforts of Port Moody’s young mixologists.

“It takes them back to their own childhood,” Maschke said. “It’s a way for them to engage with the kids. Even if it’s just for five minutes, it can change a child’s life forever.”

Maschke speaks from experience. He still remembers the time “Officer Cook” walked into his elementary school classroom in Napanee to give a talk, looking larger than life in his uniform and policing implements.

“He had such a presence about him,” Maschke said. “It always stayed with me.”

So much so the encounter influenced his own decision to choose policing as a career.

Maschke said the best lemonade is the simplest lemonade; the juice from two fresh lemons squeezed into the coldest water possible. But mixing from frozen concentrate is good too. 

“Don’t overthink it,” he said.

To let the Port Moody police know about your lemonade stand email them at portmoodypolice@gmail.com or Tweet them @PortMoodyPD

mbartel@tricitynews.com