Community join police for a Coffee with a Cop

ACT Policing came together with members of the local community today for Canberra’s first Coffee with a Cop event.

Coffee with a Cop provides the opportunity for community members to build relationships with their local police officers, discuss what’s going on in their neighbourhood, ask questions they may have about the law or policing, or just have a chat about what’s on their mind.

The initiative originated in America, and has been successful in other Australian police jurisdictions such as New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria.

The Front Café and Gallery in Lyneham joined with ACT Policing for this inaugural event, generously providing a relaxed location to host the first of what police hope will be many Coffee with a Cop community events across Canberra.

ACT Policing members from City Police Station, Traffic Operations, and Regional Targeting spoke and educated the community about a range of topics.

Officer in Charge of City Police Station, Detective Station Sergeant Adrian Craft said initiatives like Coffee with a Cop help to foster positive relationships between police and the community.

“Unfortunately, the community’s primary interaction with police is often in tense situations when they are either involved in a crime, or are themselves victims of a crime,” Detective Station Sergeant Craft said.

“This initiative enables police to engage with the public in a stress-free environment, to build trust and help break down potential barriers in communication.

“These interactions are the foundation of community partnerships that help ACT Policing deliver the best possible police service to the ACT community.

“I would like to thank The Front Café and Gallery for supporting ACT Policing with this important and worthwhile initiative.”

While today’s event is a trial, it is anticipated further Coffee with a Cop events will be rolled out across Canberra.  

Media enquiries

Police Media — (02) 5126 9070, act-police-media@afp.gov.au