By Candace Kelley
Correspondent
At this Dunkin’ Donuts in Roselle every third Monday from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. you can drop by, get a doughnut and have some Coffee with a Cop. The Coffee with a Cop programs are taking place all over the country and this initiative was put together by Mayor Jamel Holley, the Roselle Borough Council, and the Roselle Police Department.
“Everything doesn’t have to be the police versus the community,” said Officer Roger “Skip” Hutchins.
Holley says the borough had been thinking about starting program for some time, but the situation in Ferguson reminded him of the work that needed to be done.
“The incident in Ferguson ignited it, so we felt it was an important factor to bring into our community,” said Holley
Anyone can drop by during their morning commute to share what’s on their mind and ask any question. The mayor is also on hand during these informal meetings.
“In everyone’s head, the cops image is the bad guy- arresting people, but they are just doing their job to keep us safe,” said Vic Arora.
That’s the message they want to share- especially with young people. With the high school just a few blocks away, Holley hoped that students would stop by on their way to school- so far they have.
“They wanna tell you something but they want to be able to trust you,” said Hutchins.
Growing up, Holley’s grandmother was a corrections officer and he says that he always had good relationships with the police. Those relationships he viewed police officers much differently.
“Police officers were friends, you could wave to them and talk to them,” Holley.
And the police get to tell residents about their community policing programs, including the Junior Police Academy, which gives teens a hands-on experience about what it takes to become a police officer.
Forging strong bonds between the police and the community- over coffee. It starts with a conversation. And officers say in the long run, building trust with the community makes it easier for them to do their jobs because they need the eyes and ears of those in the community to do their work.
“They may know something that you didn’t know so you need to make them feel comfortable that they can come and tell you,” said Hutchins.
Holley says the initiative has received a great response and residents have suggested making the program available on the weekends. It’s something he’s considering so even more people can have coffee with a cop.