Coffee with a Cop event allows seniors to chat with constable

By Stephen Petrick, Inside Belleville
Original article HERE

Coffee with a Cop

A new event called Coffee with a Cop created a buzz at Quinte Living Centre.

More than a dozen residents of the downtown seniors residence came out to speak with Belleville Police Const. Mark Hall, whose job is to patrol downtown Belleville.

The event, which took place Thursday, Dec. 8 afternoon, allowed residents of his patrol area to meet with him and discuss issues informally.

It made for a great atmosphere, as Hall sat casually in a chair and swapped stories and shared jokes with the residents, who all seemed tickled pink that a police officer had taken the time to hear their thoughts.

Safety issues were discussed, as the Living Centre is located on the north end of Front Street – near an area that’s now fully open to traffic after two years of construction.

The area has a speed limit of 30 kilometres per hour and “now that the street’s open it’s time to enforce it,” Hall said.

Hall also told the crowd that he’s spoken to Coun. Jack Miller about installing a cross walk by the building, to allow seniors to safely walk across the street and access a bus stop.

Hall said one of the most important things people can do to help him in his job is to share information; they can tell him about a time of day they notice more speeders or other issues that pose a safety threat.

He praised Belleville Police’s community policing program, which allows volunteer, in yellow jackets to patrol streets and serve as extra pairs of eyes.

Hall and several residents agreed that Belleville is a great city and there’s many great things happening now – especially with a new casino and new hockey team coming to town in 2017. However, this growth means there’s more work for police to do, so help is always needed.

“There’s a lot going on and economically we benefit from that,” he said. “But the flip side is there’s more strain on our resources.”

Hall also noted it’s an exciting time for police, saying that the service is expected to move into a new headquarters soon – a renovated version of the former Neil Britton Utilities building.

One senior, noting that the project has dragged on for years, said to Hall “you may be as old as me, by the time that happens,” triggering laughter.