In an effort to bring officers and the OW community together, University Police hosted a Coffee with a Cop event on April 2nd, 2018 at SUNY College at Old Westbury.
“The students don’t really interact with [University Police] because our first thought is that they’re trying to ruin our fun, but in reality, they’re just trying to keep us safe,” said Kiyana Borges, a Freshman Psychology major at OW.
Community policing has been an important strategy in which officers in communities engage with inhabitants and form strong relationships. National Coffee with a Cop Day is the first week of every October, and was created to “encourage communication and positive interactions between law enforcement agencies and the public,” according to the official Coffee with a Cop website. However, University Police decided to create their own Coffee with a Cop, which has now become an event every semester.
There are over 1,500 events in all 50 states according to the official Coffee with a Cop website. “Every October there is a national Coffee with a Cop Day and it’s held all across the country,” said Deputy Chief Pascal. “Police departments can do their own Coffee with a Cop whenever they want.”
According to Deputy Chief Pascal, “We just wanted to break down barriers between our campus community which is the students, faculty and staff, and the University Police officers.”
There are many barriers that communities may face including racial, economic, and language barriers. Coffee with a Cop is an informal setting that allows community members and officers that patrol the area to interact and discuss matters that are important to the community. According to the Coffee with a Cop website, officers are required to turn off their radios and cell phones during the event so that interactions are uninterrupted and “stress-free.”
Many officers on campus have already implemented community policing to benefit the campus community. Detective Burnet, who is one of two detectives on campus, claims he knows a lot of students on a first-name basis. “A lot of these people I know,” said Detective Burnet. “I eat in the cafeteria a lot, so I can see who is who and get to know people.”
Interacting with community members helps eliminate the sensation of stress and danger that many minorities face when interacting with police officers. According to the Psychological Benefits Society, a website dedicated in explaining and analyzing psychological science in society states, “the more police are educated about psychology and behavioral issues, the more they are prepared to deal with these difficult encounters in a productive way.”
The Coffee with a Cop event has even become a networking event. Students on campus who are curious about entering law enforcement take advantage of this event by asking officers questions and advice. Deputy Chief Pascal’s advice for students who want to go into law enforcement is, “If they have knucklehead friends that are doing stupid things, to not get involved with those knucklehead friends.”
Whether students were discussing their concerns on campus or asking for advice in possible law enforcement careers, both the community and officers enjoyed a cup of coffee and a few tasty treats as they chatted away.
