By Jackie Todd, Office of Media Relations
Clemson University Police Department (CUPD) officers were out in force Tuesday at the University Union Starbucks. But they weren’t there to perform an investigation, write a ticket, or collar a criminal. Instead, they were there to build a community.
CUPD’s Coffee with a Cop event regularly attracts more than 100 people. Part of a nationwide movement begun in 2011, the event allows law enforcement to break down barriers and to build relationships between police and the communities where they serve.
“We hold these events to come together with the community to discuss anything they want to discuss,” said Dwayne Leslie, a CUPD lieutenant and one of the event organizers. “There’s no agenda. By coming out, having coffee with a cop and meeting their local police officers, the community can put a face with that officer that they see in the car. If they’re more familiar with someone, they’re more likely to call on them for help.”
Charity Hubbard, a sophomore studying recreational therapy, wasn’t planning on meeting the police when she made her morning coffee run. But her visit to Starbucks turned out to be an opportunity to address a perception that many students have about law enforcement.
“I was walking in about to buy my own coffee, but the cops talked me in,” she said. “It’s probably the first time I’ve interacted with a cop in general. It was nice to have them come up and talk. They’re really friendly. They’re real people, not scary cops.”
Hubbard’s friend, Danielle Brafford, agreed.
“I think that a lot of people think that the cops are against the [or] they want to make money from the students,” said Brafford, a junior recreational therapy major. “That’s a common belief. But it was kind of encouraging to see their interactions with people and how open they were with talking and getting to know them.”
Along with building trust and community, CUPD sees the Coffee with a Cop initiative as a chance to familiarize students, faculty and staff with their role.
“Usually they are just curious about what we do,” explained Leslie. “We have our explosive detection dog, Doc. He’s always a big hit; so they’re curious about him and what he does. A lot of the questions involve many officers we have, what do we do each day. A lot of times they’re not familiar with what we do on a regular basis.”
The event, according to Leslie, also pairs law enforcement with the public that they serve.
“A lot of times the officers are on the job and in their car and they don’t interact with the public a lot,” he said. “But we bring those officers out and they really have a good time. It just reminds them of why they do what they do and why we’re out here to serve. It gets them back in touch with people and so that’s one of the really good things that happens from our side.”
Coffee with a Cop is held on campus each semester.
