COMMUNITY RESIDENTS GATHER TO SHARE COFFEE WITH COPS

By Marg Jackson, The Escalon Times
Original article HERE

Coffee, pastries, and a chance to sit down and visit with local police officers were all on the menu for Escalon residents on Saturday, April 29.

The ‘Coffee with a Cop’ event was hosted at the local Starbucks, with several locals taking the time to stop in and take advantage of the opportunity to socialize with police officers in the informal setting.

Escalon Police Chief Mike Borges, along with Sgt. Milt Medeiros, Officer Carl Poortinga, and Reserve Officer Zack Pelham were all on hand. Officer Poortinga coordinates the occasional coffee gatherings.

“I am pleased with it,” he said, noting that the Saturday session seemed to draw more people than the last weekday event. “I’ve definitely talked to more people this time.”

Chief Borges added that it’s a comfortable setting for people to talk to officers, bringing some concerns or just questions to the table. Department volunteer Dave Willis attended as well, and said he is enjoying the time he ‘works’ for the department, doing vacation checks and assisting with community events.

City councilman Walt Murken, a former police chief for the city, made an appearance in his current capacity.

“I’m here as a council member, I thought there might be some questions,” he said of being available to meet with residents.

Starbucks manager Cody Roberts said having the police department host their coffee break sessions at the location is good all the way around.

“I actually love that they’re here,” Roberts said. “I like having the presence here and it shows people passing through that we have a solid police presence, we appreciate them being in our stores.”

Along with the local residents, police said they were able to visit with some people just passing through the community, out for a weekend drive.

“It’s great to see how our officers interact with our customers,” added Roberts.

The 90-minute ‘Coffee with a Cop’ ran from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Saturday.