Hopatcong's Coffee with a Cop Brings Civic Minded Thoughts

As a long time, adult resident and now Patch.com Mayor, I had a special interest in the Coffee with a Cop program being coordinated by the HPD. It has the effect of the old civic center days that combined municipality leadership, young families, single adults and senior citizens into mutually enthusiastic civic engagement.

This program meets the 1st Thursday of each month from 6 PM to 8 PM at the newly 3 year leased, and renovated storefront called the Hopatcong Community Center that Mayor Michael Francis has spearheaded. It is a few doors from the Hopatcong Rite Aid which makes it an easy approachable place for the public to drop in and pick some valuable literature or meet a guest topic speaker. However, the Coffee with a Cop is an exceptional scheduled program because, it is presented by a municipal department where the HPD has had a direct hand in developing and presenting the material themselves. The location grants an opportunity for the HPD to have a friendly and welcoming environment of professional interaction and feedback from the inquiries people are encouraged to ask Patrolman James Still at 973 398-5000.

The Thursday May 2, 2019 Coffee with a Cop evening became an open forum that anticipated low attendance from the stormy weather. This gave me the chance to be the Patch interviewer after being an avid Patch reader of all the uplifting stories of the Hopatcong Police Department especially the past ones about their K-9 program. In attendance at the center was Ptl Still and Ptl Jerry Mancuso. In good spirit they had outfitted their center welcoming dog Zenny with some professional looking patrol dog gear. Owner Andrea Winenign brings her dog Zenny to every Coffee with a Cop event that has taken place to support the HPD.

Zenny’s appearance rushed in over a decade of memories on how unique the Hopatcong Police Department is in engaging the support of the community to collectively work on projects together and the K-9 Unit that was set up in Hopatcong was one of them. The program received positive public relations attention from the media. It started with a vision from Detective Luciani that Hopatcong needed a K-9 officer. It was Councilwoman Estelle Klein who championed to secure a $250 donation from the Animal Haven so Luciani could attend a training session at the National Police Association. In 2005, bloodhound Rosco joined the force as one of the county's only canine search units. At 14-weeks-old, Rosco underwent seven months of rigorous training to track criminals and missing persons. Most notably was the dedication of the detective’s family that provided their own home to this K-9 partner. Volunteer hours and generous donations were made by community associations, local businesses and individuals to support this HPD program. Rosco performed outstanding rescue work that made headline news, but he also obediently aided in regular criminal investigations too. It wasn’t long before he became a celebrity at parades, and in schools. His human partner was also a Hopatcong High School resource officer and so he spent many days at HHS. He also did visits to elementary schools and day cares. Many grieved when he died in September 2012. Eventually the program for Hopatcong’s own K-9 unit would come to an end since many of Hopatcong’s municipal roles and committee boards would be transitioned over to Sussex County during the later part of previous mayor’s administration. Still many held a glimmer of hope that maybe someday the HPD K9 unit will return.

Another gem of the Hopatcong Police Department is the Explorer program, which provides law enforcement training to students between the ages of 14 and 21. It is a wonderful program that also develops a sense and duty and character in our youth apart from the school arena. Patrolman Still was proud to say that from the class of 14 Explorers two had later gone on to enlist in the marines and one had enlisted in the army. The program also saw 3 Hopatcong Explorers join the law enforcement. HPD encourages both young women and young men to enroll in this program.