Coffee with a Cop Fosters Open Communications

By Margaret Waage, Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News
Original article HERE

Police and residents engage in conversation

It’s not every day you can chat with a police officer, but Friday morning’s ‘Coffee with a Cop’ event provided that opportunity. Canton Police Department Officer Pacer Cordry said these events are held at different Canton locations but the G. Cecil Pruett Community Center Family YMCA is a great spot to host.

“There’s a good chance people we meet at the Y, are local residents. People are more likely to stop and talk with us there, after a workout.

The purpose of ongoing outreach is really straight forward in nature. It’s a simple way the police department can keep the lines of communication open with the public. Chief Mark J. Mitchell talked about the program via their Facebook page by saying, “This program is one of the most important monthly activities we are involved in which, is essential to us connecting with the citizens we serve. Our organizational attitude, mindset and philosophy is to build a foundation of trust with each segment of our community and diligently grow a very positive culture between our hard working department and this great City.”

Chief Mitchell said, “I want to thank our citizens for their support and feedback which greatly assists us in providing better police services and also “humanizes the badge” to both adults and children. Our hope is our citizens will see we truly care about them, their quality of life, their safety and what goes on in our community.”

Coffee with a Cop has previously been held at Starbucks, Chick-Fil-A, and East Main Café to name a few. The Canton Coffee with a Cop program began in May 2015. Its namesake program was first launched in March 2011 by the Hawthorne, California Police’s Department Community Affairs Unit.