University of Wisconsin Police Department Thursday brought officers, dogs and free coffee to East Campus Mall.
UWPD officers handed out free coffee to passersby, giving people the chance to ask questions or just have a conversation with a police officer.
UWPD hosted the first-of-its-kind event, aptly called “Coffee with a Cop,” Marc Lovicott, UWPD spokesperson, said.
“When you think about coffee, you think about sitting down at a coffee shop and talking with people, and that’s what this is about,” Lovicott said. “We’re offering free coffee to welcome students back to campus, and to bridge the gap and get closer with the community.”
Even as students and faculty bustled to their morning classes, many people stopped to grab coffee or chat while petting one of the German shepherd K9 officers at the scene.
Alex Rodgers, a freshman at University of Wisconsin, comes from a police family. He stopped by the Coffee with a Cop event while walking through East Campus Mall after being drawn in by the free coffee.
“I’m from Madison, and it has always felt welcoming here,” Rodgers said.
Frequently, when police officers interact with community members, it’s a negative experience due to the nature of the job, Lovicott said. Coffee with a Cop gives passersby a positive experience with the officers.
Alissa Oleck, a UW production manager for Educational Innovation, swapped her usual morning coffee out for Coffee with a Cop. She too was drawn in by the coffee, but was pleased to discover UWPD was also giving out information on safety and their department.
“I think that it’s good for the students to see that the police department is here to support them instead of being against them,” Oleck said.
Though this is UWPD’s first event of this kind, it is part of a national movement by police departments to try and become more connected with the community, Lovicott said.
During a time when relations with the police are tense, both locally and nationally, community outreach has become even more crucial, Lovicott said.
“Especially now, its very important for departments to get out there and meet with their community and talk with their community just because some of the relationships with law enforcement that are happening across the country, and we think this is a good way to do that,” Lovicott said.
