Free coffee? And I get to have this free coffee with members of the Owatonna PD? Well, sign me up. Actually there was no sign-up needed, all one had to do was get to the Starbucks location inside Target in Owatonna Wednesday, October 16th. There were members of the police department there for 2 hours in the morning and then 2 hours in the evening.
Police officers were breaking down barriers with community members Wednesday – all over a cup of coffee.
In Pine Brook, residents chatted with patrolmen, Lieutenant Charles Tremblay, Captains Mark Olsson and Carlo Marucci, Chief Andrew Caggiano, and Morris County Sheriff James Gannon. Tots Grace and Zachary got a “tour” of a Montville police car, courtesy of Patrolman Dan Cooney.
Cheyenne Curley ’22, liked the event. “I thought that it was a really creative initiative,” she said. “The cops were really friendly and all of the snacks were tempting. I think that having events like this are a good way of helping students put faces to cops. Hopefully [Coffee with a Cop] fosters more trust in our community. I think more police departments should be doing this!”
The smell of freshly baked biscuits and coffee wafted through the Holly Hill Hardee’s, located on Old State Road, on Oct. 2 as uniformed law enforcement officers engaged in conversations with the town’s residents.
Alpers mentioned that, “one customer, in particular, told us how she moved to Wilmington, where she was from, how happy she was to see us.” He shared that the police department enjoyed connecting with residents and hearing their stories.
If it’s the first Wednesday in October then it is “National Coffee with a Cop Day.” On Oct. 2, as in many neighboring communities, the occasion was celebrated in Shrewsbury with a meet and greet at Dunkin Donuts on Maple Avenue, where members of the town’s Police Department interacted with the community.
Deputies and captains from the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office gathered at LaMar’s Donuts for two hours Oct. 2 for National Coffee With a Cop Day. This is the second year that SCSO has participated in the event.
Cops in Schenectady held another “Coffee with a Cop” event on Friday. They gathered at The Happy Cappuccino on Jay Street between City Hall and Proctors.
The Saginaw Township Police Department has been involved with the National Coffee with a Cop Day event since its inception years ago.
