TWINBROOK RESIDENTS HAVE “COFFEE WITH A COP”

Two families entered the McDonald’s on Veirs Mill Road Tuesday morning in the hope of finding a way to rid their neighborhood of drug dealers and vagrants who often demand money or ask to use a cellphone.

“It’s a personal-safety issue,” said a single mother, who brought her two daughters. 

Her neighbors – a husband, wife and three young children – also attended the Coffee with a Cop program to urge the police to stop the drug dealing and fighting near their homes at Lincoln Park in Rockville City. 

The families, who didn’t want their names used for fear of retribution, showed officers their documentation on the nefarious doings taking place in their neighborhood.

Please, they said, can police patrol more often?

Officer Tara Bond said they should definitely call the police non-emergency number, whenever they witness suspicious activity, or call the emergency phone number if they felt scared or endangered. 

The Montgomery County and Rockville City police departments will help, some of the five officers at the McDonald’s said. 

“Many years ago, there were police cars going there all the time,” said Officer Michael Prather. “It’s better, but that doesn’t mean it’s right.”

Prather told the families to pick a date and he would come speak to them and their neighbors. 

He praised the families for being proactive, adding, “I think the biggest thing is, keep doing what you are doing.”

As the parents discussed their concerns, their children fingered their new plastic police badges. They also enjoyed the ice cream cones from McDonald’s general manager Bijan Mohseni, who explained it was a plus for him to host the Coffee with a Cop program for a second time.

“We like the community. It’s good for us,” he said. 

Pilar Romero entered the fast-food restaurant and told the officers that food trucks were “popping up all over the place” at nearby parking lots. To her, that meant an eyesore and littering. 

Officer Michael Prather sympathized with her but also let her know that there is no law prohibiting food trucks as long as the owners are registered and follow all the health codes. 

He told Romero, who teaches English as a second language at Montgomery College, to talk to the property owners 

– to tell them you want to eliminate problems.

What about the homeless people who live under the bridge on Veirs Mill, spend their day in a local laundromat and are often drunk, Romero asked. 

And, she added, what about the people who spend hours at a bus shelter, taking up seating for those who do use the bus and making everyone feel uncomfortable.

Prather said, as he continued to do several times during the two-hour session, to please call the police non-emergency number. Let the police know of any and all suspicious activity, adding that the caller can remain anonymous. 

“Just be the best witness possible” without getting involved, Bond said. 

The police may drive by and talk to those involved or they may choose to keep the information for a later date, Prather said.

“We can’t just move people, because it doesn’t look right,” he said. However, perhaps a person can be convinced to go to the local shelter, said Prather.

Giving out this kind of information promotes good will. “Building that since of community” is important, Bond said. “We all are family.”

The Coffee with a Cop event was typical, Prather said. Most residents come with a specific complaint. Many of the other people the police officers spoke with were McDonald’s patrons, who were unaware of the special program but still drank. When asked if the officers are ever met with anger or hatred, Prather said that has not happened. 

“It’s very rarely negative.”