By Hayleigh Gowans
Staff Writer
On Oct. 7, police departments across the nation gathered at local restaurants, cafés and stores to provide a casual environment to enjoy a cup of coffee with citizens at the first ever National Coffee with a Cop Day. Locally, the Town of Manlius Police and DeWitt Police departments teamed up to offer this event at the Fayetteville Target.
Coffee with a Cop is an effort to improve relations and increase communication between law enforcement officials and their communities.
“It helps promote an open dialogue in a non-threatening environment outside of the department,” said Manlius Police Officer Angel Palmer.
“Especially with the current events that have been going on, we want to be able to sit down with the community and talk and enjoy a cup of coffee,” added Manlius Police Captain Jeffrey Peckins.
Starting in 2011 as a result of a brainstorming effort by the Hawthorne Police Department in Hawthorne, Calif., the main purpose of Coffee with a Cop was to encourage conversations between law enforcement and citizens in a peaceful environment, especially with events that have caused frictions between police and citizens. According to the program’s website, more than 2,000 departments across the nation, as well as Canada, Europe, Australia and Africa, have held Coffee with a Cop events.
“When people call us, it’s not to invite us to a party or something, unless something bad is happening there and we need to go,” said DeWitt Police Chief James HiIdmann. “Whether it’s getting written a traffic ticket or having to call us because your car was broken into, they are negative or stressful interactions. This allows citizens to see the human side of police officers.”
In the past, law enforcement agencies were encouraged to set up their own Coffee with a Cop events, but on Sept. 19, the United States Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services officially declared Oct. 7, 2016 the first National Coffee with a Cop Day. Both the DeWitt and Manlius departments have had events similar to Coffee with a Cop in the past, but this is their first time teaming up.
“I came because I support my police department and they have a tough job,” said East Syracuse resident Dave Nappi, who attended the event in Fayetteville.
This local event was sponsored by Fayetteville Target, who offered their store and provided complimentary coffee for those who attended. “We [Target employees] live in this community, so we like to support it when we get the chance to,” said Mark Robinson, Executive Team Leader Assets Protection for Fayetteville Target.
To learn more about Coffee with a Cop, go to coffeewithacop.com.
