Back to all news
Community catches up over coffee with cops
By Aisling Brennan, Tweed Daily News
Original article HERE
TRAFFIC safety, better police presence and speeding concerns were top of the list of community concerns when police met for cup of coffee in Murwillumbah, as part of the state-wide Coffee with a Cop event .
Tweed Byron Police District’s Crime Prevention Officer, Senior Constable Brad Foster, said Tuesday’s community catch-up was a huge success, with more than 50 people grabbing a coffee and having a chat with police at JuJu’s Cafe in Murwillumbah.
“Any engagement that we can do with the community is good,” he said.
“There’s some traffic issues in terms of speeding in some of the rural streets around Murwillumbah.
“(Others asked) about police resources in the area but we’re getting more police and more resources all the time, so it’s good.
“There have been some enquiries about a new station but the reality of it is that there won’t be a new station in Murwillumbah any time soon, we only just got the new one built in Tweed Heads.
“It’s not what some police would call traditional police work but any engagement I feel is good.
“If we can communicate with the community with open communication it is always a positive thing.”
Brays Creek resident Martha Turner said she enjoyed catching up with the police in a relaxed environment where people could ask them what every they liked.
“It’s important to recognise that (the police) are also a part of the community,” Ms Turner said.
NSW Police Minister Troy Grant said people usually only seek out police when they are a victim or a witness of crime and they are at their most vulnerable. This is not an optimal time to build relationships.
“The Coffee with a Cop initiative gives communities throughout NSW the chance to have a chat with local police in an informal and relaxed environment to discuss community safety issues that matter to them,” Mr Grant said.
Share this post:
