On Saturday, Aug. 15, members of the Upper Valley and officers from the Hanover Police Department will gather at the Etna Green in an informal environment for the fourth annual Coffee with a Cop event.
This year, however, the officers are hosting a special version of Coffee with a Cop where juice is also offered to cater to the younger members of the community. Kids, along with their parents, can ask questions and talk to police officers in a relaxed, one-on-one interaction.
Hanover Police Chief Charlie Dennis said he is eager for this year’s event, especially because it is going to be more “kid friendly” compared to the previous years.
There will be police cars where children can see the inside and ask questions and be more informed about different features, Dennis said.
Every year, about 50 people attend the events, Dennis said. He hopes the number will rise each year because it is a great way to get the community involved.
Hanover town manager Julia Griffin wrote in an email that she is optimistic about making this event more focused on children.
Griffin wrote that the town tries to create opportunities for children and young people to meet and interact with its police officers in positive, casual settings.
Griffin said that these types of interactions help the children see a more human dimension to the police officers and signals that the cops’ goal is to assist and serve them.
Nenia Corcoran, a Hanover police officer, first brought the idea to Dennis, and they agreed that this was the perfect format for meeting and greeting the community.
Griffin wrote that many local residents know the staff, but often interact with them in emergencies and other stressful situations, which can be “incredibly stressful” for the persons being assisted.
The event is also open to all Dartmouth students, Dennis said.
Matthew Jiang ’17, expressed interest in the event.
“My town doesn’t have anything like this, but I wish we did, especially when I was younger,” Jiang said. “This is also a good way for Dartmouth students to get to know the community that surrounds them.”
Chris Park ’17 said he would be interested in learning how or if local police are engaging with recent national headlines about police violence.
“I’m curious if when cops see these police brutality headlines do they feel any kind of responsibility to talk about this or justify it or speak out against it?” Park said.
A Coffee with a Cop event was held last November at Umpleby’s Bakery and cafe, attracting around 50 community members.
“I want our residents to see our police officers as I do all the time,” Griffin said. “A group of really dedicated folks who want to be there and help keep people safe. Coffee with a Cop is a national initiative supported by The United States Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The first event was in March of 2011 at the Hawthorne Police Department in California. In less than two years, Coffee with a Cop events have been hosted in more than 2,000 communities, in 48 different states. Those who attend the Hanover event are able to submit feedback anonymously via the national website.
The Hawthorne Police Department and the University of Illinois’ Center for Public Safety and Justice partnered up to create a national training program that establishes regional workshops. These workshops are then followed by the Coffee with a Cop event.
This story ran under the headline "Hanover Police to host 'Coffee with a Cop'" on Aug. 14, 2015.
