Belleville Cops Chill With Kids At Recess, Java Drinkers At Starbucks

BELLEVILLE, NJ — Belleville police officers recently reached out to the community at a pair of local events, interacting with some local students during recess and networking with community members at the department’s latest Coffee with a Cop gathering.

The Belleville Police Department shared details about a project they dubbed “Operation Recess” on Monday:

“Our officers kicked off this initiative today and stopped by several schools and interacted with the students during recess. Everyone had a blast and we look forward to stopping by the other schools and continuing this detail until the end of the school year! This initiative sends officers into the community’s elementary schools during recess hours with the purpose of playing games and participating in activities with students on the playground. Officers are not there as rule enforcers, but as partners and supporters of the students. This is a great opportunity for students and officers to communicate and have a positive interaction and experience while having fun. There is also a big emphasis on anti-bullying behavior.”

Earlier this week, Belleville police held a different sort of outreach event, hosting their latest Coffee with a Cop workshop.

Police wrote:

“This morning, we hosted a Coffee with a Cop event at the new Starbucks located at 11 Franklin Avenue. We had the opportunity to meet a lot of great people and engage in casual conversation and speak about our community. We promoted several programs that we offer which include the Blue Star Assistance Program, Take Me Home Program and our Home Security Surveys and had plenty of free giveaways for everyone. Everyone also enjoyed free samples and treats from Starbucks and we thank the staff and manager Ashley for working with us and making this event a success! We spoke and are in the process of planning an evening event this summer. Stay tuned for more upcoming events and activities!”

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