‘Coffee with a Cop’ aims to build trust

UB Police is inviting members of the UB community to stop by the Student Union on Oct. 7 and share a cup of coffee — and some conversation — with UBPD officers.

The event, taking place from 12:30-3:30 p.m. in the Student Union lobby, is part of the first national Coffee with a Cop Day sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

A grassroots initiative started in 2011 by the Hawthorne (California) Police Department in response to tensions between police and the community, Coffee with a Cop aims to bring officers and their communities together for casual conversation over a cup of coffee. Organizers say this simple concept helps build trust, provides everyone with a voice, enhances cultural awareness and strengthens understanding.

The initiative has grown to include more than 2,000 law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.

UB Police Chief Gerald W. Schoenle Jr. says UBPD is grounded in the concept of community policing, and its Citizens Police Academy is focused on promoting an interactive partnership between UBPD and the community that values proactive problem-solving, open communication, building relationships — and transparency.

“Establishing and maintaining mutual trust is a key goal,” Schoenle says. “An important part of community policing occurs when an officer recognizes that they are part of a community, and the community understands the same about the officer.”

Schoenle notes that while UB police officers are often in the Student Union interacting with members of the university community, several officers will be in the union during this event specifically to have coffee and meet with faculty, staff and students.

“This is just one small way we hope to reach out to our campus in a friendly manner so we are seen as part of the community,” he says.