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‘Coffee with a Cop’ builds trust between Issaquah community, police
By NICOLE JENNINGS, Issaquah Reporter
Original article HERE
A host of citizens and police officers alike came out to bond over an All-American cup of java when the Issaquah Police Department hosted “Coffee with a Cop” on the morning of Oct. 7 at the Issaquah Highlands Grand Ridge Starbucks.
During the event, which coincided with National Coffee with a Cop Day, several Issaquah Police members of all ranks turned up at Seattle’s favorite coffee chain to meet with citizens from toddling age all the way to retirement.
Interim Commander Ryan Raulerson said that the coffee break was an opportunity for people to see law enforcement in a much more positive situation than the emergencies that would normally bring citizens and police together.
“It gives us a chance to interact with individuals,” Raulerson said. “No one ever calls 911 because something good happens. This is a chance to see people in a much different environment.”
“It’s nice to have so many come and just chat,” said Sergeant Laura Asbell, who said that this was her first time attending the event.
Commander Chris Wilson explained that Coffee with a Cop, which was also hosted in July 2015 in Issaquah, is a “national campaign to connect police officers and the community in an informal setting.”
Throughout the United States, it is common for citizens not to know their local law enforcement officers personally — perhaps to not even know their names.
In Issaquah, however, events like Coffee with a Cop and the annual summer “National Night Out” barbecue create opportunities for police and residents to reach out, meet one another and discuss any issues. Police say they are determined that community members recognize their faces and feel comfortable coming up to them anytime.
“We have a really supportive community, but we have to be mindful of that … and proactive about … keeping that support growing,” Raulerson said. “It’s really important to get out there.”
Highlands residents were happy to have the coffee klatch in their own neighborhood. Christy Garrard, executive director of the Issaquah Highlands Council, said that this was the first time that Coffee with a Cop had taken place in the Highlands, and was thrilled that there was such a good turnout.
“They [the police] are happy to do it,” she said. “They’re very accommodating.”
Issaquah Highlands Community Association Executive Director Sarah Hoey said that people liked the chance to “have a one-on-one” with police where they could talk about some of the biggest concerns in Issaquah, such as “traffic safety, drug activity and making sure kids are safe going to school.”
As residents and police officers sipped coffee around the table, the conversation couldn’t help turning from the Issaquah community to the national stage, where feelings towards police have not always been as kind. In the wake of highly publicized police shootings of African-Americans, police in other areas of the United States have been the victims of hate speech, and even, in the case of Dallas, actual violence.
School Resource Officer Diego Zanella used Coffee with a Cop as a teaching moment to explain what really goes on in the mind of a cop when arresting a potentially dangerous criminal.
“If I get a call, I just respond — it’s not targeting a specific group,” Zanella said, noting that a suspect’s race is not mentioned in the radio transmission. “We don’t profile people, we profile behavior.”
Raulerson explained that even though a suspect may appear harmless in videos released later, police are trained to notice signs of danger that the casual observer may not pick up on.
“There’s a reason we’re doing [what we’re doing], but you may not notice if you don’t have the training to recognize the signs,” he said.
As the moral of the story, police said that in light of the current national situation, they were very thankful to have a community that is so supportive and grateful towards its law enforcement.
“We have a lot of support in the community,” Wilson said. “We focus on building trust.”
And for the police department, interacting with the community is a must.
“Our department is very progressive — it really cares about the community,” Zanella said. “Not because it looks good, but because it really is that way.”
To learn more about the national campaign, visit coffeewithacop.com.
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