Residents share coffee with law enforcement

By Amanda Hovik, Paradise Post
Original article HERE

National Coffee with a Cop Day was celebrated Wednesday bringing out CHP, Butte County Sheriff’s Office and officers of Paradise Police Dept. to socialize with the community at a local coffee shop.

According to Paradise Police Chief Eric Reinbold several of the CHP officers helped make and serve drinks, worked the drive-thru window, and took orders for customers. “It was entertaining as it was an opportunity to meet even more people as more were going through the drive-thru than coming into the building,” Chief Reinbold said.

Reinbold said it has been a huge success with the community joining law enforcement at Starbucks Coffee Company. Coffee with a Cop is an opportunity for citizens to come out and have an open forum with local police officers and law enforcement to speak with them about any topics they would like to talk about, he noted.

Paradise Police Dept. brought K-9 police dog named “Cash” as well as Butte County Sheriff’s Office brought out a K-9 companion to the event. A group from California Vocations Inc. brought some of their clients out to meet police officers. It was a positive opportunity to interact with the Paradise community with a lot of smiles and handshaking, he added.

“We’re regular people and we’re out trying to do a good job serving our communities,” Chief Reinbold said. “If people have questions as to how or why we do things it was an opportunity for them to raise those questions and concerns,” Reinbold stated. “ It was a chance to break down the barriers and walls between some of the perceptions that are out there.”

Dave McCoy and his wife Sandra, Chico residents were reading the paper and sitting inside Starbucks.

“I think it’s a good idea to have police out and about where you can just talk with them and ask them some things that have bothered you about maybe neighbors or people doing things and I think it’s nice to see them around,” Dave McCoy said. “They all are very polite, it’s a good idea.”

Sandra McCoy said it’s wonderful to have a chance to talk with law enforcement.

“I think it’s wonderful all though there aren’t many children and teens at this hour in the day but at least people could have a direct contact with them that isn’t over a situation,” she said. “And see that they are just like we are and appreciate the job that they do.”

Dave McCoy said this is a happy setting where you’re not under stress, it hasn’t been an accident or some type of a burglary, it’s nice to realize that police officers are humans and they have their own families. “They have a lot of chances like everyone else,” he stated.

Sandra McCoy added especially for some young people if they see police in a casual situation then when they are walking down the street and they say ‘hey I know that officer’ so it’s a more positive situation.

Hollie Vrbeta, a Paradise resident visited Starbucks Wednesday afternoon with his son Noah.

“He really likes the police and he just got his light up shoes (Wednesday) and he said they’re like police shoes because they light up blue,” Vrbeta said. All little kids like police officers, they love to see the cop cars and they wave at them she added. Vrbeta was surprised to come in to Starbucks on the day of the event but took a photo with her son and the police officers.

“Coffee with a Cop is a great opportunity for the community to have a dialogue with the Paradise Police (Department),” she said.

Chief Reinbold wanted to thank Starbucks for hosting them and said it was nice of them to show their support for local law enforcement.

Coffee with a Cop was from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and at Starbucks at 6334 Skyway.