Sharing Coffee with a Cop

Along Locust Walk, officers from the University of Pennsylvania Police Department gave away free coffee and Public Safety-branded giveaways while talking with passersby during a Coffee with a Cop event.

Coffee with a Cop handshake
On Locust Walk, Sgt. Michael Dougherty of the Penn Police Department greets people who stopped by to get a cup of coffee, courtesy of Penn Dining and the Division of Public Safety.

Coffee with a Cop is a national effort that brings police officers together with the communities they serve to learn more about each other.

It’s building relationships one cup of coffee at a time. And nobody knows more about that than Penn’s Division of Public Safety.

Maureen S. Rush
Maureen S. Rush, the vice president for public safety and superintendent of Penn Police, along with Greg Riley, captain in the Philadelphia Police Department’s 18th District, one of Penn’s partners in safety, during Coffee with a Cop. Photo: Stacy Ritchey, Division of Public Safety  

“It’s all about relationships,” says Maureen S. Rush, vice president for public safety and superintendent of Penn Police, which is comprised of 121 sworn officers.

Earlier this week, UPPD officers were stationed along Locust Walk to share coffee, free pens and fidget-spinners, and conversations with passersby.

coffee_with_a_cop2

Coffee with a Cop stems from casual conversations over coffee with the public started by the Hawthorne (Calif.) Police Department with the goal of bridging the gap between the community and law enforcement. The idea has been replicated in all 50 states and nine other countries.

Additional photos are available on Flickr.

Among future opportunities to engage with Penn’s Police Department is the Division of Public Safety’s annual Open House on Oct. 11 from 1 to 4 p.m. at DPS Headquarters, 4040 Chestnut St.

P/O Anthony Walton during Coffee with A Cop
  Officer Anthony Walton of the University of Pennsylvania Police Department shares pens, fidget-spinners, and conversation with passersby along Locust Walk during Coffee with a Cop. Photo: Stacy Ritchey