Coffee With A Cop 2020 Event Hosted By McLean District Station

TYSONS, VA — While this year’s national Coffee With A Cop observance was called off recently due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Fairfax County Police Department is moving forward with their own events in hopes of connecting with the communities they serve.

On Oct. 7, officers from the McLean District Station will be at the Starbucks at Pike 7 Plaza, 8381 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and the Starbucks at 3046 Gatehouse Plaza, Falls Church, VA, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Residents are encouraged to stop by for coffee and a conversation. The events will be held outside with social distancing.

Coffee With A Cop originally launched in 2011 in Hawthorne, California, a result of officers from the Hawthorne Police Department looking for ways to interact more successfully with the citizens they served.

The event went national in all 50 states in 2016 to promote positive interaction between law enforcement officers and the public. It first started as part of National Community Policing Week and is now held annually the first Wednesday in October.

"Coffee With A Cop is community policing at its core," former COPS Office Director Ronald L. Davis said in a statement. "The simple act of having a cup of coffee with community members can be the first step in increasing trust and cooperation between the police and the people they serve."

In a separate statement, Coffee With A Cop administrator Michael Ishii said the past six months for law enforcement have been “some of the most challenging times we have faced in our careers.” But despite nationwide protests and, in some cases, violence, Ishii said it’s “inspiring and humbling to see officers and staff doing their best serving our respective communities.”

White the national observance was postponed, Ishii said it’s up to local agencies to plan and move forward with events if reopening guidelines allow.

"These events are sometimes more important for our officers than for the community," he said. "It is important that our line-level patrol officers have an opportunity to meet regular folks and have a normal conversation. Coffee With A Cop is the event that allows us to do that."

Here are the other Coffee with a Cop events announced so far by Fairfax County Police:

• Mason District Station: Starbucks at Pinecrest Shopping Center, 6552 Little River Turnpike, Alexandria, VA, Oct. 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Franconia District Station: Starbucks at 6525-B Frontier Drive in Springfield, Oct. 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
• Fair Oaks District Station: Peets Coffee at Fairfax Corner Shopping Center, 11947 Grand Commons Avenue, Fairfax, VA, Oct. 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Reston District Station: Katie’s Coffee House, 760 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA, Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
• West Springfield District Station: Starbucks at Saratoga Shopping Center, 8098 Rolling Road, Springfield, VA, Oct. 7 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.