Collingswood Joins Coffee With A Cop Program

COLLINGSWOOD, NJ — The Collingswood Police Department is joining the “Coffee With A Cop” movement.

“Coffee With A Cop” is a national program that invites residents to ask questions about community safety and policing in a neutral setting over snacks and beverages. The program aims to foster one-on-one connections that bolsters relations between police officers and residents, as well as support overall community communication.

Collingswood’s first Coffee with a Cop event will take place from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Monday, March 7, at Revolution Coffee Roasters, 13 Fern Avenue at the Factory, officials announced.

“There are a lot of good reasons to get to know our community better and for folks to get to know their officers better,” Collingswood Police Chief Kevin Carey said. “Coffee with a Cop events remove any barriers to getting to know law enforcement and open a channel of communication that has proven incredibly useful for a lot of towns.”

Carey and Mayor James Maley hope to arrange regular Coffee with a Cop events throughout 2017 in various neighborhoods, businesses and locations in town.

“This is the latest in a series of public outreach events and conversations serving to keep Collingswood officials connected to the community,” Maley said. ”When people know their officers better they are more likely to reach out to the police, which in turn makes for safer neighborhoods. It really fosters a healthy environment between residents and public safety officials. And maybe we’ll even bring donuts."

Patch file photo