‘Coffee with a Cop’ event serves community spirit in Valparaiso

By Amy Lavalley, Post-Tribune
Original article HERE

Marie Garcia stopped by “Coffee with a Cop” with new Valparaiso police Chief Jeff Balon and his administrative team Tuesday to support the police and left with an opportunity for her daughter.

Garcia came by the Valparaiso Farmers Market at Urschel Pavilion, where the police department set up a blue awning and offered free coffee and doughnuts. The Valparaiso woman said her daughter, a freshman at Valparaiso High School, was interested in becoming a lawyer but had shifted to law enforcement.

While chatting with police, Garcia learned of the Junior Police Academy, offered by the department to familiarize teens with the department and what its officers do.

“By coming out and exploring and asking questions, I found a great opportunity for her to grow,” Garcia said of her daughter.

“I really like this community. I feel safe and I know these men and women are working,” Garcia said, adding the officers are “amazing and approachable.”

Holding “Coffee with a Cop” during the farmers market made sense, Balon said, because people who hadn’t heard about the event but were stopping by the market could meet him and the other officers.

The event, the first of many, Balon said, was a way to continue the department’s outreach and partnership with the city’s residents.

“This is a great interaction with the community, and the kids especially,” he said.

Mayor Jon Costas selected Balon, a longtime member of the department, as chief after Michael Brickner left the post to oversee 911 Central Communications for Porter County.

Balon said he’s still in regular contact with Brickner, who also hosted “Coffee with a Cop” events, which has made for a smoother transition, and the two have a lot of the same ideas about the department.

Residents approached Balon with questions about internet crimes and scams. The event, he said, was another way to keep building on a dialogue with the community.

For Capt. Dave Richardson, “Coffee with a Cop” was a way to break down barriers.

“A lot of people don’t like police officers or don’t think they’re approachable,” he said.

Kathleen Hamernick, who moved to Washington Township from Chicago five years ago after her husband changed jobs, said she comes to the market every Tuesday and considers herself “a regular supporter” of anything going on in Valparaiso. She didn’t know about “Coffee with a Cop” but was glad to see it was going on.

“I like being able to individually tell each of them, ‘Thank you for your service,’ because each of them puts their life on the line every day,” Hamernick said. “They deserve a lot more. They deserve respect.”