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First ‘Coffee with a Cop’ held in Tamuning
By Jasmine Stole, Pacific Daily News
Original article HERE
About a dozen Guam police officers crowded inside the McDonald’s Tamuning restaurant Wednesday morning for about two hours, on the hunt for a cup of hot coffee, and ready to lend an ear.
Wednesday was the first of a series of “Coffee with a Cop” events hosted by the local police department in partnership with McDonald’s Guam.
“’Coffee with a Cop’ is nothing more than patrons of McDonald’s having a free cup of coffee and sitting down with a police officer and discussing any issues, any questions, any concerns…and providing potential solutions,” said Guam Police Department Chief Joseph I. Cruz.
Cruz said the event was part of the department’s new Mandaña community oriented policing initiative.
The department will be visiting the remaining McDonald’s locations in coming months. Because different communities have different priorities, GPD hopes these meetings will help the department adjust to those specific concerns, Cruz said.
Tamuning resident Patrick Sullivan, a regular McDonald’s customer, spoke with the chief about his concerns about speeding, crimes against tourists and break-ins.
A resident of Guam since 1976, Sullivan said it seems to him that criminals have become bolder over the years. “These break-ins and the way they’re driving on the highways. It seems to me that they’re stepping things up, and I think it was because there was a lack of police presence,” he said.
Seeing officers at McDonald’s yesterday was a promising sight, according to Sullivan.
“This is reminiscent of what Gov. (Ricardo) Bordallo did years ago, the neighborhood patrol,” he said.
“I like to see them friendly like this, talking to the public, coming in, sitting down and listening to our concerns,” he said. “It shows that they’re willing to listen and willing to make changes in their policies.”
Officer Maggie Naputi, part of the Hagåtña precinct’s Community Resource Unit, said patrons Wednesday were telling her that they’d like to see more officers in their neighborhoods.
Cruz said people he spoke with Wednesday were concerned about safety on the roads. “We’re hearing a lot of how we need to step up enforcement on the roadway,” the chief said. “So that’s something we’re going to take a look at.”
Divina Evaristo, marketing manager for McDonald’s Guam, said “Coffee with a Cop” is not a McDonald’s program, but started with a police department in California. GPD approached the restaurant chain about starting one on island, and McDonald’s gladly decided to take them up on their offer, Evaristo said.
A few customers Wednesday were curious about why the restaurant was crawling with cops, and presumed there might have been an incident, but Evaristo set the record straight.
“I said, ‘No, no, no. It’s totally safe.’ It’s probably the safest place in Guam right now,” Evaristo said with a chuckle.
The event is informal, there’s no presentation or program, she said. “Just sit down, start talking and go from there,” Evaristo said.
After every “Coffee with a Cop,” GPD will work on a report to include the issues people shared with them, Cruz said.
The next “Coffee with a Cop” will be held next month, at the Hagåtña McDonald’s, Evaristo said. Cruz, however, said residents don’t have to wait until next month if they have something to share with police.
“Any resident is welcome to contact the Guam Police Department at any one of the precincts or come up to the headquarters or give me a call,” Cruz said. “If the public wants to talk to the Guam Police Department, please, we encourage that…because really this is how our (community oriented policing) strategy is going to work better.”
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