State police meet public
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 & Espresso Bar on West New Castle Street 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.
Sometimes it was a simple, “How are you doing?” or “Great day, isn't it?”
Much to the delight of children with their mothers, the troopers also passed out “Junior Trooper” stickers.
“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.”
William King of Meridian bent the ear of Kesten for a while, sharing his thoughts about combating drug dealers.
King afterward gave the program a thumbs up. “It gives citizens the chance to talk to police about issues,” he said.
More troopers showed up during the event. Butler Patrolman Cheryl Litz also made an appearance.
But with so many uniformed police on the patio outside the front door, some customers admitted to being taken off guard, at first.
One woman appeared to hesitate as she made her way toward the steps. Long picked up on her uncertainty.
“Don't worry,” he assured her. “It's just 'Coffee with a Cop.'”
“So it's not a crime scene?” she replied, with a relieved grin.
Many customers didn't stop to talk long. Some just flashed smiles at the troopers.
“Nice to see you guys,” said one woman heading inside.
Coming out, a man holding a cup of coffee in one hand, extended his other one to the troopers.
“Thank you,” he told each of them, shaking their hands.
Black thought the informal setting allowed him and his brothers in blue to be viewed as people, not just policemen.
“It shows the police in a different light and a different aspect,” he said, “We're not just pulling you over for a traffic violation. We're just like everyday people — we like our coffee, too.”
