November 28, 2016

Cops welcome questions, get show of public support

By Stacy Moore, Hi-Desert Star
Original article HERE

Mike Murphy just wanted to thank local law enforcement officers. The Joshua Tree man was in the majority at Coffee With a Cop at Starbucks Tuesday, hosted by the Morongo Basin offices of the California Highway Patrol and county Sheriff’s Department.

“We’ve received a lot of compliments today,” CHP Lt. Eric Robles, commander of the Joshua Tree office, said as he sat on the Starbucks patio.

Just two days earlier, four officers were shot in the line of duty, one fatally, in Texas, Missouri and Florida.

“With what’s happened throughout the nation, shootings of law enforcement officers are a tremendous concern,” Robles said. “Most people want to show us support and thank us.”

Murphy spent time talking with sheriff’s Deputy James Delgado and CHP Officer J.R. Griffith. “I just wanted to thank them for what they do, in light of what’s happening nowadays,” Murphy said. “These guys are in a tough job.”

Others stopped by to ask questions about crime and crime-fighting programs.

“A lot of people want to know what they can do to help, which is great,” CHP Officer Simon said. “We’re happy to see that people want to be involved and support not just us, but their community.”

This was the second Coffee With a Cop in the Morongo Basin in recent months; the first was held by the CHP office, but the Sheriff’s Department is now a partner in the events.

“Our departments are so close here and we work so closely together, it’s important to get together on programs like this,” Robles said.

The event gives the public a chance to interact with officers, which isn’t always possible when they are on the job. “People don’t have a lot of opportunities to ask us questions,” Miller said. “We want to be able to talk to them; we like to be available.

The officer said the law enforcement agents are grateful for the public show of support.

“It’s a great community to work in,” Miller said.

The CHP and sheriff’s station plan to hold a Coffee With a Cop in Twentynine Palms in February.