Second Coffee with a Cop event with Darien Police a success

By Will Pegler, Darien Times
Original article HERE

The Darien Police Department hosted their second “Coffee with a cop” event on Monday, June 11 at Espresso Neat in downtown Darien.

The meet and greet was held as a way for several officers and Darien citizens to get to know each other and develop a strong relationship. Officer Lou Gannon was excited to chat with many Darienites, saying, “We really want to be more of a friendly face for people and not just somebody you want to avoid. Being able to meet new people and give them a wave when you see them around town is important for us as a department and the community as a whole.”

Gannon was also appreciative of the beautiful weather, saying that many people were stopping in the courtyard outside of Espresso Neat just to chat with the officers and introduce themselves.

Gannon said that some people asked the usual questions you have for an officer, such as, “Do I really need to slow down at a yellow light, or can I just accelerate through?” and a few other traffic inquiries, but most were just happy to talk to the officers about topics like summer plans or what they were having for lunch.

Another huge topic of interest for attendees was a four-year-old K-9 named Kenny. Officer Leslie Silva, who works with Kenny, explained that he is mainly used in traffic stops to smell for narcotics in cars or on someone’s person, and so far has been a great addition to the team.

The officers in attendance were very happy with the success of the event and felt that they had a strong turnout, allowing them to meet many new people. The department plans to host another meet and greet event at some point this summer.