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Coffee with a Cop Day helps officers reach out to community
By Times-Tribune
Original article HERE
Police officers across the state of Kentucky participated in National Coffee with a Cop Day.
Celebrated on the first Wednesday in October, Coffee with a Cop Day began in Hawthorne, California in 2011 when its local police department sought ways to interact with the Hawthorne community. The first national celebration of Coffee with a Cop Day occurred in 2016, with Kentucky starting its annual celebration the following year.
Kentucky State Police from Post 10 in Harlan held two Coffee with a Cop events Wednesday morning. One at the Dairy Queen in Harlan and the other at Billy’s One Stop in Barbourville.
“It’s about breaking down barriers between law enforcement and community members in our communities,” said Trooper Shane Jacobs, public affairs officer for Post 10, Harlan about the event. “Anytime that you can make that connection with the community it’s obviously going to improve that relationship that we have here.”
That relationship between law enforcement and the public is important, noted Jacobs.
“Our community members are the eyes and ears of our small communities, and that’s why we need them to team up with law enforcement so we can reduce the crime that occurs within our area,” he said.
Jacobs and his post spent the morning at Billy’s One Stop drinking coffee and eating breakfast with many of the morning regulars.
“We wanted to find a location that several people go to. We know that a lot of people come in here, they get breakfast, they get their cup of coffee, and they go to work,” he said. “Billy’s One Stop is a proud supporter of the state police. He has always been good to us, and we wanted to come hang out with him and his business and hang out with the people that visit his business here.”
Jacobs mentioned that part of Coffee with a Cop’s purpose is to show community members the similarities between themselves and cops.
“Yeah, we wear a uniform and we have a job to do, but we’re no different,” he said. “You can approach us, talk to us, give us concerns that you have.”
“Anytime [the community] has a concern, or something’s going on in their community, or they want to talk about the football game this Friday night, it could be anything, but we want them to know we’re just like everyone else.”
Jacobs and his fellow officers hope that by reaching out to community members it will help get rid of the stigma surrounding some cops throughout the country.
“Across the country right now law enforcement and community members, there’s some negativity going on. Thankfully here in eastern Kentucky, state police and law enforcement are very supported, and we’re very thankful and blessed to have that.”
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