Bringing law enforcement, citizens together

By Sheyanne Romero, Visalia Times-Delta
Original article HERE

_TD31793Casey Ake is finishing her degree in criminology. The mother of four boys hopes to one day become a police officer.

Ake woke up early Friday morning and headed to the California Highway Patrol’s Coffee with a Cop event. The second installment of the community outreach event was held at Tulare’s Portuguese Bakery and Imports.

“I don’t know how people don’t look at them [law enforcement] with respect,” she said. “They protect us and we need to protect them as well.”

Ake had never heard of Coffee with a Cop but her teacher suggested she research the program for a school project.

“These events are especially important with what’s going on these days,” she said.

Three of Ake’s sons also want to become police officers.

“I had no idea what it was,” Ake said. “I thought it was a good concept.”

Coffee with a Cop is a national campaign aimed to bring law enforcement and citizens together for an open discussion on issues that affect the community. Countless agencies across the country participate in the program.

Visalia CHP recently joined in, hosting its first event in Visalia last spring. Coffee with a Cop breaks down barriers and allows for a relaxed, one-on-one interaction, officer Steve Beal said.

Others who attended just wanted to say, “Thank you”.

“What can we do for you?” asked Janet Lebaron.

Janet and her husband, Don Lebaron, are long-time Tulare residents who have always strived to show their support to local law enforcement.

“Just keep supporting us,” officer David Torres said.

Don said the event helps humanize officers and wished more agencies participated.

“It’s good,” Janet said. “You meet people and tell them “Thank you” and “God Bless You’”.

Several CHP officers sipped coffee and spoke with community members throughout the morning. They answered questions, shared stories about their families and even gave suggestions on how to interact with law enforcement during stressful situations.

“We had great feedback,” Beal said. “People talked about concerns and we were able to process those in a friendly way.”