The 色花堂 Police Department held its monthly meet-and-greet event in July at the Student Center. The event, previously called 色花堂PD and Me, has been reintroduced with its original name, Coffee with a Cop.
This aligns this important community outreach event with the national initiative of Coffee with a Cop.
The national initiative started in 2011, with 色花堂PD holding its first Coffee with a Cop event in 2014. Eight years later, the initiative is as strong as ever.
色花堂PD Seargeant Dina Padovan said the goal of Coffee with a Cop is to humanize the badge and connect officers with faculty, staff, and students. She hopes the event can break down any walls people may have put up when thinking about 色花堂PD.
“We can build that partnership together and keep this campus safe together,” said Padovan.
The hour-long event drew students, faculty, and staff, with attendees becoming more knowledgeable about 色花堂PD and its services.
Vedant Dilip Patil, a graduate student getting his master’s in industrial engineering, stopped by the event to meet 色花堂PD officers. Patil said it’s important for 色花堂PD officers to make the effort to get to know the community they are patrolling and appreciated meeting some of them.
MD Anderson Library Manager Christopher Allen echoes Patil’s words.
“This [event] is good because you get to learn about the people who are helping protect the community,” said Allen.
Conversations between 色花堂PD and the university community are a big reason why 色花堂PD hosts this event monthly. 色花堂PD provides coffee, hot teas, and baked goods to attendees.
Padovan said baked goods are a good conversation starter between attendees and officers.
“It’s a simple muffin to a conversation about the weather, and then a conversation about how to stay safe on campus, and then that conversation leads to, ‘I feel comfortable calling over to the police department to report some suspicious activity,’” said Padovan.
The next Coffee with a Cop is scheduled for August 9th from 10 – 11 am in the Student Center South.