Hoboken Siblings, Police Launch ‘Cocoa With A Cop’ At Hudson School

By Eric Kiefer, Hoboken Patch
Original article HERE

Hoboken Siblings, Police Launch ‘Cocoa With A Cop’ At Hudson School

You’ve probably heard about the successful “Coffee With A Cop” program, a community-based initiative that helps local police mingle with the communities they serve in a friendly setting.

But through a unique trial partnership with the Hudson School on Park Avenue, the Hoboken Police Department has taken the concept a step further: “Cocoa With A Cop.”

According to Hoboken Det. Edgardo Cruz, the program is the brainchild of two local siblings, 12-year-old Jackson Murray and 10-year-old Melanie Murray, both students at The Hudson School.

The Murrays are already familiar with community service, frequently volunteering at the Hoboken Homeless Shelter. But this time, they wanted to do something different, Cruz told Patch.

“We wanted to make the kids feel safe, wanted them to get to know the police officers in a different environment so they would feel more comfortable approaching them if they were in need,” Jackson Murray said.

With the support of their parents, Brian and Bonnie Murray, as well as their school’s administrators, they moved ahead with the plan, helping to bring Hoboken’s first “Cocoa With A Cop” event to the Hudson School.

Hoboken police say that they plan to hold future “Cocoa With A Cop” events twice a year at Hudson School at the beginning of the new school year in September and in March.