National Coffee with a Cop Day is October 4th.

Sharing a cup of coffee with another person establishes a common bond between cop and citizen. It can help officers build better relationships with the communities we serve. Understanding this concept, the United States Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) partnered with the Hawthorne Police Department in California to promote “National Coffee with a Cop Day” to be held each year on October 4th. For those that do not know, Coffee with a Cop is a movement designed to help break down the barriers in communities between residents and officers that can make it hard to address crime and public safety. This eliminates obstacles, such as radios, patrol cars and cell phones for a short period of time to be more approachable and have relaxed conversations with community members.

It is a simple plan: officers invite their residents to join them for a cup of coffee and a conversation. It has been spreading like wildfire ever since the first cup was poured and today more than 2,000 law enforcement agencies throughout the United States participate in this movement. Coffee with a Cop events are opportunities to build relationships in order to better problem solve with the people officers serve. During these difficult times, we are encouraged that communication between the police and communities is still possible and we hope you are inspired to be a part of this successful event.   

I hope your agencies have these events. For more information on how to join the movement and to find the tools and logos to help your agency plan your event, please visit https://coffeewithacop.com/police/ Keep it simple. Call up a local coffee shop, make sure it's ok to take over an area of their lobby, bring some department or POA / DSA branded goodies to give out and you're set to let the media know you are available. Good luck.