Boksburg North SAPS and the local Community Police Forum (CPF) invited all zonal district stations, including officials from the provincial head office, to an awareness campaign, ‘Coffee with a Cop’, to engage with the community about issues concerning their services to them.
‘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.
Some of the issues addressed during the discussion were crime, bicycle safety, helmets, home alarm systems, domestic issues, stray animals, parking, senior scams, community meetings, and calling 911.
The Berwyn Police Department’s Coffee With A Cop community dialogue series had a great turnout this past Saturday at the McDonald’s located on 6401 W. Cermak Road.
Face-to-face interaction with law enforcement helps a community bond with those serving it, according to Mary Delling, official “director of fun” at Biggby, who invited local officers to hold their most recent cop-coffee klatch at her establishment.
On Friday, Nov. 15, officers from the California Highway Patrol’s Woodland office and community members will come together in an informal, neutral space to discuss community issues, have coffee and build relationships.
The Brandon Police Department recently held such an event at Scooter’s Coffee on Oct. 31. Police chief Joe Weir said he doesn’t think such an event has ever taken place in Brandon, but it’s something he hopes to continue to do in the future. He had been planning a Coffee with a Cop event for several months, but got a nudge to move forward with the plans after they received an anonymous donation.
The annual Coffee with a Cop event was another successful event this year and for the first time, it wasn’t held at a coffee shop. Plenty of people went over to Leggett Park to interact with police officers, highway patrol officers and fire and rescue personnel while enjoying coffee and a sausage sizzle.
“People should know that police work is not only about making arrests. There is a need for us to engage with the community and find out what their daily challenges are, more especially those who are most vulnerable in society,” Manamela said.
Laredo residents got a chance to enjoy a nice warm cup of joe while also getting to know their fellow law enforcement officers over the weekend.
