The event aimed to spark conversation and invite feedback from Davis community members
By ALMA CULVERWELL — city@theaggie.org
The City of Davis Police Department recently hosted a Coffee with a Cop event on Jan. 20, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. outside of Dresbach-Hunt-Boyer House on 604 2nd St.
Community members were invited to attend to share their ideas and concerns, ask questions about public safety issues and learn more about the Community-Oriented Policing and Problem-Solving Team, which works to address public safety concerns. Attendees were also encouraged to meet officers and enjoy coffee in one of Davis’ historic downtown spots.
Lieutenant John Evans, public information officer for the Davis Police Department, explained the background of the event and what the department hoped to accomplish.
“In general, I would say that the [Davis Police] Department hosts various ‘Coffee with a Cop’ events around town on a pretty regular basis,” Evans said. “It’s really just an opportunity to gather with community members to build rapport and make connections with folks around town. We don’t usually have a very specific set of topics or updates that we are trying to push out. [… ] We’re just trying to get out there to be available for community members to have conversation and build partnership.”
Lieutenant Matt Muscardini, one of the main planners of the event, explained some of the logistics surrounding the Jan. 20 gathering.
“There were approximately a dozen people who showed up during the event,” Muscardini said. “The numbers that attend always vary. The next Coffee with a Cop will be at a downtown business, in the hope that it is not just a place for people to go and interact with department members, but some [people] will already be there if they wish to interact.”
Muscardini explained a few of the various concerns that came up at the meeting and what the typical discussion looks like.
“The concerns vary from the community members,” Muscardini said. “There were questions about the unhoused community and what [the] Davis Police Department is doing in that regard. There were questions for our Social Services Homeless Outreach team that were present at the event. We try to have personnel from our Community Oriented Policing and Problem-Solving unit, patrol officers, detectives, Traffic unit and also other non-sworn members of the department.”
Muscardini shared what he finds valuable from the event and what he hopes attendees walk away with.
“I think it provides great value for both officers and the community,” Muscardini said. “It gives us a chance to answer questions from the public about what is important to them and gives us the opportunity to make changes or assist the public. I believe it creates a better partnership [and] relationship in the community, and we serve the community. I think people sometimes think we are not approachable, whether that’s the uniform, previous interactions etc. […] and getting a chance to just get together and talk about issues can be a great benefit to the community and to us.”
The Davis Police Department plans to host two additional Coffee with a Cop events in July, which are set to be advertised on the Davis Police Department’s Facebook and Instagram later this year, according to Muscardini. For more information on the Davis Police Department, visit their page on the City of Davis website.
Written by: Alma Culverwell— city@theaggie.org
