Northport officers, Jack’s host ‘Coffee with a Cop’

By Terri Brewer, WBRC
Original article HERE

(Source: Terri Brewer/WBRC)

Police are continuing an effort in Northport to meet citizens in a relaxed setting, which is unlike many of the situations to which police respond.

Northport Police Department held its latest Coffee with a Cop Friday morning at Jack’s on Highway 43.

“Most of the time when people call us, it’s their worst day that they’ve ever experienced, so it’s kind of hard to build relationships in that kind of atmosphere,” NPD Sgt. Ashley Blalock said.

“But hopefully what we’re trying to do is build relationships outside of those incidents.”

Blalock says not only does this help build relationships, but through conversations with citizens, she says police are able to gain crime prevention information.

“We get told often that things have been posted on social media or Nextdoor.com about break-ins or vehicle break-ins, things like that, that we were never made aware of. So we don’t know that we need to be patrolling that area more often, or stepping up our presence in that area, if things aren’t getting reported to us.”

Northport resident Eddie Fulmer, who is a member of the Matthew 5:9 Project, came out to meet the officers and distribute wristbands to them. The wristbands display the phrase “Blessed are the peacemakers,” drawn from a verse in the Book of Matthew in the Bible. The Matthew 5:9 Project is a ministry aimed at lifting the spirits of the nation’s peace officers.

Fulmer encourages other residents to use Coffee with a Cop to meet local law enforcement officers.

“It’s a good time to come out and talk with them, and they’re real people,” Fulmer said.

“I think it’s a big benefit to be able to have a one-on-one relationship with a law enforcement officer, especially for kids.”