Having coffee with a cop

By Ian Campbell, CTV News
Original article HERE

In Sudbury on Friday, community members got a unique opportunity to chat with members of the police force.

More than a dozen police officers gathered at a Starbucks in the city’s south end for an initiative called Coffee with a Cop.

From offering their opinion to looking at a case, the offices built relationships in the community one cup at a time.

“It gives the public an opportunity to come and talk with police, share some stories, ask some questions that they normally wouldn’t get a chance to ask,” explained Constable Mickey Teed, Greater Sudbury Police Service.

Coffee with a Cop first started in Calgary and has quickly spread to police services across the country.

Constable Teed helped spear-head Sudbury’s event.

‘I actually read a comment on Facebook, last week when this was promoted, and it was a woman who said she recognized me from the picture and said that I actually changed her life and that she’s now on the straight and narrow and she wanted to thank me… you don’t see that other side most of the time when you’re going to call to call to call,” says Teed.

Carla Abel and Stefanie Bernier saw the social media invite online. They’re studying Indigenous people and the Canadian justice system.

While chatting, they learned about the cultural sensitivity training officers take with Indigenous people.

“So it’s great to know that GSP has that cultural aspect integrated into their daily routines,” said Abel.

“He was very informative about the criminal justice system and he really brought awareness to me and Carla about the different aspects that GSP has for Indigenous people,” added Bernier.

Some came out to the event for other reasons as they were pleasantly surprised while going for their morning cup of coffee.

“The ability for people here to just be able to come up with a policeman with an issue and not be intimidated by the uniform and therefore tell their issue,” expressed Cheryl Johnstone, Sudbury resident.

“It gives the community a chance to speak to us in an atmosphere that works for both of us,” commented Constable Tyler Hagen, Greater Sudbury Police Service.

The event is being hailed as a success and plans are now in the works for future Coffee with a Cop events.

There’s already been interest online to have it in other parts of the city including Dowling and Hanmer.