Tim Hahn: Cops enlist coffee to help build better relationships

By Tim Hahn, GoErie.com
Original article HERE

Founded in California eight years ago, Erie recently held its second National Coffee With a Cop Day.

Erie police Patrolman Sal Velez said the conversation mainly centered on issues in various neighborhoods when he chatted with community members during National Coffee With a Cop Day in 2018.

When the event returned to Erie for a second time on Wednesday, Velez said the conversation was more casual.

“It was more, ‘Hi, how are you?’” Velez said of the interaction at Ember + Forge coffee shop on State Street.

It was much the same on the campus of Penn State Behrend, as Lt. Lesley Mitchell and other members of the university police department shared coffee, water, homemade granola bars and conversation with students and others who passed by the outside reception area where they were set up on Wednesday.

For Mitchell, who came to Penn State Behrend in September after years of service on the Millcreek Township Police Department, Coffee With a Cop gave her the opportunity to introduce herself to members of the campus community and to get to know them.

“It was kind of nice. I got to know where some (of the students) are from, how long they’ve been here, what they’re studying, how they feel about campus. It was a good opportunity to meet them and let them know who we are and what services we have,” she said.

It was evident from the people who stopped by Ember + Forge on Wednesday that they enjoyed talking with city police officers about a variety of topics in a casual setting. There were times when the discussions touched on serious topics. Erie police Sgt. Geoff Filutze noted, for example, that he fielded a lot of traffic complaints. But, by and large, the conversations seemed mostly casual, with a lot of smiles and laughter shared.

National Coffee With a Cop Day was born out of encounters members of the Hawthorne, California, Police Department had with residents of its community eight years ago. The event has since spread throughout the country and to other parts of the world, with a focus on building better relationships between police and residents.

It’s hard to say at this point if the effort is paying off in Erie after just two October days of sipping coffee in downtown Erie and one Wednesday sharing treats on the Penn State Behrend campus. But it’s a good idea, and one that should continue.

It’s going to at Penn State Behrend. Mitchell said the students she encountered on Wednesday expressed an interest in doing similar events, and she’s exploring opportunities for future gatherings.

“Because it’s a nice way to interact with students and faculty and staff,” she said.