Coffee with a Cop brings North Division officers back to local coffee shops

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard

NORTH DURHAM: For residents with a question about policing, a concern about their neighbourhood, or simply a desire to get to know the officers who serve their community, there will soon be an easy place to start, over a cup of coffee.

Durham Regional Police Service’s (DRPS) popular 'Coffee with a Cop' initiative is returning this autumn, with North Division officers making stops at coffee shops, in Uxbridge, Sunderland, Port Perry, Beaverton, and Cannington, throughout September and October.

The community connection initiative began in 2019 and has become an opportunity for residents to meet police officers in a relaxed, informal setting, away from the urgency and formality which can often accompany police interactions.

There are no speeches. No agenda. Just conversation.

The autumn series gets underway Friday, September 11th, at The Bridge Social, in downtown Uxbridge, before moving through Brock and Scugog townships over the following weeks.

The schedule includes:

Friday, September 11th: The Bridge Social, 64 Brock St. West, Uxbridge

Thursday, September 17th: The Sweet Spot, 93 River St., Sunderland

Thursday, September 24th: That Place on Queen, 180 Queen St., Port Perry

Thursday, October 1st: Underground Bakeshop, 425 Mara Rd., Beaverton

Thursday, October 8th: Canter Coffee, 2 Cameron St., Cannington

Residents are invited to stop by, grab a coffee, and spend some time talking with North Division officers.

For, Brock Township Mayor, Mike Jubb, who has supported Coffee with a Cop since the initiative began, the informal conversations are an important part of community policing.

“As Mayor, I am a huge supporter of our police and funding them correctly, to provide the services required,” he told The Standard. “A huge part of community policing is public engagement.”

Mayor Jubb welcomed the return of the initiative and said, it provides residents with an opportunity to discuss policing issues directly with those on the front lines.

“I am happy to see Coffee with a Cop is back again this autumn,” he said. “This has been a very successful initiative, where residents can speak face to face with a police officer and elected officials on policing concerns.”

That face-to-face connection is at the heart of the program.

Rather than waiting for a public meeting or a formal community consultation, residents can simply walk into a participating coffee shop, introduce themselves, and strike up a conversation with an officer.

Questions can range from specific neighbourhood concerns to broader issues surrounding community safety, while the event also gives officers an opportunity to hear directly from the people they serve.

For DRPS, the message is simple: grab a coffee, say hello, and have a chat.

In addition, for local residents, it provides an opportunity to put a face to the uniform and continue building the relationships which help make community policing work.