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.
Pantani said she wanted students to see officers as human beings who know how to have fun from time to time and eventually become more comfortable with speaking to them. Director of the Office of Student Conduct & Civic Responsibility, Chris Piscitelli said his office works “extremely close” with campus police, acting as an intermediary between students and police.
“We wanted to sponsor Coffee with a Cop as a way to bring local officials and police together with the community. We reached out the Sheriff’s Office about the event and they jumped on the opportunity,” Sheila Robinson, McDonald’s director of operations said.
On Oct. 30 from 9 to 11 a.m., local law enforcement gathered to hand out free coffee and pastries to students, faculty and staff at ‘Coffee with a Cop’.
The East Brunswick Police Department recently held their annual “Coffee with a Cop” event at the East Brunswick mall with sponsorship from Panera Bread and Cinnabon. At this event, East Brunswick residents get to converse with the local authorities to voice their concerns about the community and offer them gratitude for their service. East Brunswick Police Chief Frank LoSacco and East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen were both in attendance.