Coffee With a Cop is a monthly event held by the Oceanside Police Department throughout various locations in Oceanside. Saturday, June 22nd, the OPD will have their canopy and table outside of the San Luis Rey Bakery on 490 N El Camino real 8:00 am to 10:00 am. Both Coffee With a Cop regulars and curious passers-by will be encouraged to interact with the police officers and help themselves to the complimentary coffee and coffee cake.
“We want to get people to come out and talk and to engage with us,” said Officer G. Cobian.
“We try to get people informed on the services that are available and just have a good conversation. There’s no real agenda, it’s pretty laid back. We’re hoping that people can say ‘hey, cops are people too’ and it helps to humanize us.’ It’s always a great time and we always want to bring in more people.”
Along with the refreshments, the officers brought a welcoming demeanor and display. One of these was their Nissan Pro 4X. This formidable large pick up truck is designed to turn heads and spark conversation with the familiar OPD logo. Their table was covered with informational literature and free police themed trinkets, such as pens and stickers.
Coffee With a Cop is a nationwide program that brings together law enforcement with the community. Begun in 2011 in Hawthorne California, this phenomena aims to connect communities to their police officers in a personal and comfortable way. With headline making controversies between law enforcement and the public, face to face discussion can be a helpful tool for progress.
“People don’t always understand law enforcement.” said Cobian. “What they see on the media is usually the only thing they are exposed to, which is a bit unfortunate because there you can only get a snippet of the situation. We just want to remind people that we are still fathers and sons and daughters.”
These events are often announced via the police department’s social media pages. To get involved or find the next Coffee With a Cop event, look for
