Riverhead police officers will be at four local businesses Wednesday morning for Coffee with a Cop Day, inviting residents to stop in for an informal conversation over coffee.
Officers will be at the following locations from 9 to 11 a.m. on Oct. 7:
- Wildcat Bagel Deli, 6243 Route 25A, Wading River
- Lolly’s Hut, 1290 Old Country Road, Riverhead
- El Deli Chapin de Riverhead, 303 Osborn Avenue, Riverhead
- Black Sheep Bagels, 1451 Main Road, Jamesport
Coffee with a Cop is a national program first launched in Hawthorne, California in 2011, the result of a brainstorming session on ways to better connect with the community. The events have now been hosted in all 50 states and the program is considered one of the most successful community-oriented policing programs in the country.
Having a cup of coffee with citizens is “a simple plan to break through the barriers that have been built over the years, whether by shifting demographics or the shift to different and less personal modes of communication,” according to the program.
It opens the door for interactions outside of the crisis situations that typically bring law enforcement officers and community members together, organizers say.
The Riverhead Town Police Department has participated in the program since 2016.
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