We are resolutely pro slushy. When icy cold and strong flavor collide, the outcome can be bliss with an occasional susurration of regret.

A slushy smacks the spot.

We are golf cart neutral. It’s better to walk. A golf cart is excellent when you can’t.

So it was with interest that we have been reading Bulletin reporter Bryce Dole’s articles about a slushy machine, golf carts, public outreach, public disclosure, taxes and the spending of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

Does the sheriff’s office have the right mix?

The sheriff’s office has a slushy machine at a cost of $3,115. It has five golf carts at the cost of $37,777.36 for the carts and upgrades. The sheriff’s office apologized this week for not being aware of all the golf cart purchases and upgrades when The Bulletin had asked about it in November.

That didn’t feel like a slushygate or cartgate. It felt like a problem with internal communication about spending at the sheriff’s office. A double bogey.

Capt. Bill Bailey of the sheriff’s office told The Bulletin the office uses the slushy machine and golf carts at events to assist with public outreach. The golf carts could also help the deputies respond swiftly to incidents at events.

Bailey is running for sheriff to replace Shane Nelson, who is retiring.

We keyed in on one sentence in a statement from Bailey. “The community we serve overwhelmingly supports the slushy machine and all our community engagement efforts as a whole,” it said.

Members of law enforcement do need to interact and engage with the community not just in giving a warning, writing a ticket or making arrests. People have misconceptions about law enforcement. And members of law enforcement can spend much of their working day where they can see the best from people, though, they do see a lot of the worst.

Can a slushy machine and five golf carts help build a bridge? Were they smart investments of public safety dollars when the sheriff’s office was asking for more money? Or, at least, worth a mulligan?

We can’t say for sure. But if somebody was offering slushies and wanted to talk, we’d feel a lot more like talking.

Dole’s articles are much more complete than what we shared here. Check out tinyurl.com/Deschutesexpenses and tinyurl.com/DSheriffexpenses.