Coffee with a Cop Back at Gulfport Grind

By Fred Langford, The Gabber
Original article HERE

Often when people interact with police it is a tense situation; or officers are on duty and may not have time to talk. Coffee with a Cop in Gulfport is a chance to sit down with the police in an informal setting and just chat, get answers to questions about Gulfport from the people who patrol it every day, and hear police stories of Gulfport’s past and present from the insider’s perspective.

Officer Zack Mills led the November 15 event at Gulfport Grind Coffee Shop, with appearances by Chief Robert Vincent and Officer Eugene Novak. The three officers talked about areas in Gulfport where people tend to speed, including 49th Street South and Gulfport Boulevard.

“A guy was ejected from his car and killed a few years ago and was exceeding 70 miles per hour near Stetson on Gulfport Boulevard,” said Mills.

Attendees also commented on bicycle thefts in Gulfport, which have been on the rise for several years.

“Registering your bike with the city is a good way to help protect yourself,” said Mills. “We watch for kids riding double on one bike when we are looking for potential bike thieves.”

Officer Novak stopped in to chat for a few minutes and announced that he will be retiring to his eight acres of land in Tennessee in the near future.

“After being in the military and an officer all these years I am ready to relax,” said Novak. “My wife is going to raise goats and I may take up woodworking.”

Said Gulfport Grind owner Teddy Kehoe, who provided free coffee and some snacks to attendees for the event, “This was a great success today.”