Maitland police take part in Coffee with a Cop day at Michel’s Patisserie The Levee Maitland

By Sage Swinton, The Maitland Mercury
Original article HERE

CHAT: Maitland police officer in charge Chief Inspector Glenn Blain and Ashtonfield woman Caroline McTaggart at the Coffee with a Cop event at Michel's Patisserie.

The cuppas were hot and so were the topics of discussion at the second annual Maitland Coffee with a Cop at Michel’s Patisserie in The Levee on Tuesday.

Senior police and general duties officers visited the cafe for an hour and invited Maitland residents to have a coffee and chat about any police-related issues in their area.

Port-Stephens Hunter commander Detective Superintendent Craig Jackson said the event was an opportunity to encourage people to communicate with police and report any problems that may be happening in the community.

“People should never be afraid to walk into a police station and report,” he said. “We want the community to feel confident to speak to us.”

Superintendent Jackson said police took part in informal community engagement 365 days a year, but the Coffee with a Cop day was a chance to build further trust with the community.

“We have to have that trust with the community to tell us the local crime that affects them,” he said.

Police in attendance took notes from community members which will be used to help target crime across the district.

Superintendent Jackson said he was pleased by the number of residents who attended the event, which he hoped would expand even further in future years.

Coffee with a Cop has been held at various locations around NSW. Other events in the Port-Stephens Hunter district were held at Raymond Terrace and Salamander Bay.