Police seek to connect with public over cup coffee
BUTLER TWP — State police Tuesday took a rest from their normal duties to brew up some goodwill.
Rather than give out tickets, investigate calls and write up reports, they took a coffee break.
From 9 to 10 a.m., several troopers gathered at Pennie's Bake Shop on West New Castle Street in Butler to meet and greet customers and listen to any complaints and concerns.
They were there for “Coffee with a Cop,” a national program that seeks to build bridges between the police and public.
“It's about community relations,” said Trooper Jim Long, a public information officer at Troop D Butler. “It gives people the opportunity to come and talk to us during the normal course of their day.”
Along with Long, two other public information officers, Troopers Ron Kesten and Joshua Black, periodically had one-on-one talks with patrons passing in and out of the shop.
“It's important to come out and interact with the community,” Kesten said. “We want them to be able to approach us and report problems without any type of barriers.”
This is a short excerpt — read Wednesday's Butler Eagle for the full story.
