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Las Cruces community shares coffee with cops
By Bethany Brunelle-Freudenthal, Las Cruces Sun-News
Original article HERE
There was a lot of police activity Thursday morning at Zia Café, formerly known as the Old Town Restaurant, in Las Cruces, but not the type one might think when driving by a local business brimming with cruisers.
It was Coffee with a Cop, a chance for community members to meet local law enforcement officers and for law enforcement officers to meet members of the community.
Lt. Kiri Daines, who heads the public outreach division of the Las Cruces Police Department, said community events such as Coffee with a Cop are important, because it allows the community access to law enforcement.
“It’s our community outreach with the local community, so we picked a local restaurant, so we could really meet the folks we serve, or hear any of their concerns,” she said.
The Las Cruces Police Department tries to host Coffee with a Cop at least once a month, or quarterly, she said.
In support of police
Billy Armijo said he attended the event because he supports not only police officers, but also the military.
“There’s been so much negativity in the world lately, its hard to see ’em being shot at, hurt, injured, killed, so I support police everywhere,” he said.
In Las Cruces, Armijo said he believes crime is on the rise and he wishes there was a way to circumvent it.
“Just like everybody else. I’m not the only one,” he said.
Bob Porter belongs to a coffee club that meets at the restaurant almost every day, and Thursday was no exception. He said he was surprised to see all the officers there.
“I thought they were after us maybe,” he chuckled.
He continued: “They have a really tough job. They lay their lives on the line every day and I have nothing but the highest respect for them and I’m glad that they’re hanging out in the public like they are. I think it’s a good thing,” Porter said.
Joe Baca and his wife Judith have attended Coffee with a Cop events before, and they decided to come out again.
“We want to get to know the policemen, because they’re protecting the city, and we want to know them, so they know us,” Joe Baca said.
Judith Baca said Coffee with a Cop is good community service for the Las Cruces Police Department to do, and they want to support their cause.
“The police are under a lot of scrutiny, either locally, state, nationwide and it’s important for citizens of whatever area to let the police know that we’re behind them and we appreciate what they do for us. We know there are some instances where there are questions that need to be answered of things that go on, and various things that happen, but basically they are here protecting us, and we need to let them know we care about them,” she said.
Burritos, not donuts
Community Liaison Officer Aaron Glymph, who said he became a law enforcement officer because he wanted to help people, said one of the most popular questions he is asked during Coffee with a Cop is whether police officers eat donuts.
“I always like to make the joke that we live in New Mexico, so we eat burritos instead,” he said, though he’s not exactly sure how many burritos the force eats on a daily basis.
“I do love burritos, though,” Glymph said.
In Las Cruces, Glymph said most calls are domestic violence-related, as well as property crimes.
When he’s not answering calls, Glymph is working with children in conjunction with a program called Weed and Seed through the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. He also makes all the presentations in schools.
“It’s a good way for me to help the youth of the community and build that relationship. I believe kids shouldn’t have any fear of police officers, and that’s really important for them to grow up knowing a police officer is someone they can come say ‘hi’ to, and not be afraid of,” he said.
Questions answered
Nancy Greene stopped by Coffee with a Cop to ask procedural questions, such as how officers get their calls, and whether they offer ridealongs.
“And things that I have concerns about like speeding, and people who have handicapped cards who have them hanging in the car all the time, too hard to see when you’re making a turn if you have a handicap card there,” she said.
Greene said she was able to get some questioned answered. But she won’t be participating in a ridealong anytime soon.
“I know I could, but no,” she said. “I don’t know that I want to be in the car with them, because we don’t know how busy they’re going to be, like that bad accident last night, and then, I don’t want to be in the way.”
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