It’s no surprise that tensions between police officers and the communities they serve have run high in recent years. In response, police departments across the country are making efforts to combat sentiments of mistrust and marginalization. The Bloomington Police Department is no different.
What once started as a local program in Hawthorne, California, Coffee With a Cop has blossomed into a national event. Police departments invite citizens to come sit down with them and discuss issues large and small over a cup of joe. Here in Bloomington, events are held on a monthly basis all around town, whether thats at a local coffee shop, a diner, or a Harley Davidson dealership.
Bloomington Police Department Capt. Ryan Pedigo breaks down the concept of Coffee With a Cop and other community outreach events.
“Departments wanted to connect more with the communities they serve,” said Bloomington Police Department Captain Ryan Pedigo, explaining the event’s concept. “They wanted to provide an opportunity for members of the community to come out and actually meet the officers that patrol their streets, and kind of break down the barrier of the squad car.”
Not only does the department offer Coffee With a Cop events, but they also offer opportunities like the Citizens Police Academy, an annual course designed to educate Bloomington residents about the work done by officers.
Resident Sherry Barnhart took part in the eleven-week program, and described it as a perfect way to develop a greater understanding of the department’s duties.
“It was great to be able to meet these folks, and kinda get to know them a little bit, and see them as people, not as, you know, any kind of ‘enforcement’,” she said. Not all Bloomington citizens, however, are quite as ready to get involved with such programs.
“It’s kind of an artificial space to meet in. I would like for interaction with our police to be community-based, but I want it to be something that’s more organic,” said Bloomington resident and former city council candidate Vauhxx Booker.
Bloomington residents Sherry Barnhart and Vauhxx Booker share their differing perspectives on the police department’s outreach programs.
Booker has been critical of the Bloomington Police Department since their purchase of an armored vehicle in early 2018. The city’s and the department’s perceived lack of transparency was at the center of last year’s controversy surrounding the vehicle, also known as a BearCat. In Booker’s view, efforts to change this perception have been flawed.
“I don’t think we’ve seen any deep, meaningful change. I just think the rhetoric has changed,” Booker said. Coffee With a Cop, he says, just isn’t for everyone.
Pedigo, however, says he’s sympathetic to those who may not feel comfortable walking in to a room full of uniformed police officers. He hopes to attract those people with other, more relaxed events.
“In some of our events we’ll have officers that wear shorts and t-shirts and go play basketball, things like that,” he said.
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Coffee With a Cop events take place on various days of the week, various times of day, and at various locations every month. While some combinations are more successful at drawing in citizens than others, the variety gives different groups the opportunity to attend.
The department has a calendar on their Facebook page to keep Bloomington residents up-to-date on upcoming opportunities and events.
