Members of the community bond with local police over coffee

By Ciara Speller, WWLP
Original article HERE

Coffee and conversation with local police is how some teachers, parents and members of the community started their Friday morning at the White Street School in Springfield.

This event at the school kicked off the first session of Coffee With A Cop, featuring C3 Forest Park Police Officers.

The superintendent for Springfield Public Schools told 22News events like this are important so that children can learn who police are in their area.

“We have a very tight partnership with the police force, neighborhood police all visit the schools get to know the staff, get to know the kids.” said Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Dan Warwick. “So our kids know that the police are their friends and their part of the community and their someone they can go to and feel good about.”

This event also happened to fall during a week that the city has seen multiple acts of violence.
Members of the Springfield Police Department say forming these bonds will help people feel comfortable with officers on patrol.

“Our commissioner has said this from day one that he wants our police officers interacting with people in the community,” said Springfield Police Spokesman, Ryan Walsh. “The younger the interaction begins the more trust you build with those police officers.”

And although coffee wasn’t up for grabs for the students, high fives with their new buddies were!