City police applauded for engaging with citizens

It’s no secret that police-community relations nationwide have taken a beating of recent. Isolated incidents of police shooting and killing unarmed citizens have sparked national protests and incited violence against other officers. Those isolated cases and ensuing protests have garnered a lot of media attention — the negative kind of attention that puts all law enforcement officers in the spotlight.

That’s unfortunate. If pressed, all reasonable people will acknowledge that local law enforcement is a big contributor to our quality of life. Police keep our neighborhoods safe by patrolling at all hours of the day and night. And when trouble erupts, they do not hesitate to put their lives on the line in the name of keeping the peace.

But the only time most of us come into contact with a police officer is during a traffic stop or when we are reporting that we have been a victim of a crime.

Coffee with a Cop is a national program promoted by the federal Department of Justice. The goal of the program is to break down the barrier between police and those they protect. It provides an opportunity to chat with a cop outside of those tense occasions when we usually meet an officer. It’s a chance to see the human side of law officers, to share a laugh or happy story. It’s a chance to find out that police officers have families and a home life outside their official duties. In other words, they’re just like the rest of us.

And that generates positive feelings in the community toward the police.

Bozeman police officers are applauded for participating in this worthwhile program and encouraged to continue to do so.