Police hope to improve relations with students and residents in informal settings
Come January, Ohio University students will be able to enjoy a cup of coffee and talk with police officers at Baker University Center’s Front Room as the OU Police Department expands its effort to improve community relations.
OUPD will hold an event called “Coffee with a Cop” early Spring Semester. OUPD Lt. Eric Hoskinson said his department is interested in creating an open line of communication with the public, so the purpose of the event is to provide students, faculty and Athens residents an opportunity to communicate with officers and know them better.
“‘Coffee with a Cop’ isn’t going to entail any speeches,” Hoskinson said. “It’s only going to entail the public, the police officers and the coffee for anything and everything that may want to be brought up or talked about.”
Although the fatal shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri has stirred up a new emphasis on police-community relations, Hoskinson said “Coffee with a Cop” was not a result of that incident.
Prior to the events in Ferguson, Hoskinson said, he already had conversations with OUPD Chief Andrew Powers about campus events to strengthen police-community relationships.
“I wouldn’t say what we’re doing is a direct result of Ferguson,” he said. “It obviously has sparked interest with us and probably stressed the fact that we need to be doing these things to make sure that we can answer to our community or at least give them the opportunity to speak to us about the concerns that they may have.
OUPD still is working with Front Room to work out the cost and logistics for the event. The department is also interested in hosting a similar event called “Pizza with the Police.”
Hoskinson said he hopes OUPD would be able to host events such as “Coffee with a Cop” and “Pizza with the Police” once every four to six weeks.
“We’re here because of our community and that we need to serve them, and we need to make ourselves available to them to ask those questions so we can adjust our, when possible, way of policing for our community. I think it’s very important we work together that way,” he said.
Ryant Taylor, a Student Senate commissioner who’s led campus protests about the disconnect between local police and students, called OUPD’s efforts a “first step” in listening to the public’s concerns on issues.
But he added police could also improve relations by taking stronger stances on concerns stemming from how they handle crimes like sexual assault.
“I think this is a step, but I think it doesn’t really address the larger issues,” Taylor said. “I think there needs to be a stronger show of communication and knowledge across the board with Ohio University students on what their police force is doing and what their faults are.
“I think a lot of students want more than just coffee or pizza with a cop because it almost seems like a way to buy students to show up.”
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