Crosland Park community meets with local law enforcement for coffee and conversation

By Matthew Enfinger, Aiken Standard
Original article HERE

Coffee With A Cop1Residents in Aiken’s Crosland Park community met with local law enforcement officers Tuesday for conversation and a free cup of coffee at the neighborhood’s Community Resource Center.

The event was held as part of the national initiative known as Coffee With A Cop which aims to bring police officers and community members together to discuss issues and learn more about each other over coffee.

According to the event’s website Coffee With A Cop was started by officers in Hawthorne, California, in 2011.

Aiken Department of Public Safety Chief of Police Charles Barraco said officers in Aiken have held Coffee With A Cop events at different locations for over six years.

“We always are looking for new ways to meet people, engage with folks, explain what our role is and then find how we can partner to make our community better because the community is law enforcement’s force multiplier,” Barraco said.

This year the Crosland Park neighborhood has seen its share of crime, including an armed robbery on March 13, shootings on March 16 and 17, and a report of a person being shot in the leg on July 10.

Gary Yount, president of the Crosland Park Neighborhood Cooperative, said events like Coffee With A Cop allow neighbors to become familiar with law enforcement in order to help create a safer place to live.

“I’ve heard the chief say ‘we can’t do this alone,’ but if you have a few people in the neighborhood that can be an extra set of eyes, that’s a big plus,” Yount said. “I think it’s important for public safety to get to know the people of this neighborhood.”

Barraco said Aiken Public Safety will hold another “Coffee With A Cop” in the future but the time and place have not yet been determined.

To host a Coffee With A Cop event, call Public Safety Master PSO Stephanie Barbee at 803-642-7620.