CRESSKILL, N.J.—On May 31, beginning at 7:15 a.m., over a dozen Cresskill police officers greeted residents at Cresskill Bagel for “Coffee with a Cop.”
The event, a nationwide initiative, is in its fourth year in Cresskill where it was organized by Sgt. Jeremy Luciano.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to speak with people that we might not have the opportunity to meet and it allows people to approach us in a comfortable non-confrontational setting.”
Capt. Joseph Trumbetti said that he likes the fact that Coffee with a Cop gives residents a chance to ask the police questions and get advice and updates on issues, such as road repairs and home and vehicle security.
As residents arrived at Cresskill Bagel, police officers handed each one a ticket for a complimentary cup of coffee and a mug with the Cresskill Police Department emblem.
Coffee with a Cop is extremely popular in Cresskill. At 7:30, police unpacked 50 mugs, and by 8:30, they had all been given out.
Frank DeCarlo, who has lived in Cresskill 40 years, comes to Coffee with a Cop every year.
“I and my friends support the police and we enjoy talking to them and welcoming the newest officers,” he said. “Our police department is really great!”
Faye Graye is also a longtime resident of Cresskill.
“I like Coffee with a Cop so I and my son Maxwell can meet the police and let them know that he has special needs,” she said. “As a result, they have been very respectful and compassionate to him whenever they see him around town.”
As a steady stream of people came to Cresskill Bagel, Cresskill Mayor Benedict Romeo stopped by to thank Amr Youssef, the store’s owner, and the police officers for their participation in Coffee with a Cop. It is noteworthy that many of the officers had volunteered their own time to attend the event.
Many older residents as well as youngsters were delighted to take photos with the members of the Cresskill Police Department, including Deputy Chief Domville, and everyone interviewed, including the police officers, agreed that they really like Cresskill. One of the new patrol officers, Josh Basket, summed it up when he exclaimed, “You couldn’t ask for a better town!”
The first Coffee with A Cop event was launched in Hawthorne, California in 2011 as a way for officers to interact with the community they served outside of crisis situations.
Over the years, the initiative has grown enormously and it continues to generate momentum. Coffee with a Cop, Inc. is now a California nonprofit and Coffee with a Cop events are held in all 50 states.
The program has also expanded to 15 countries outside the United States, including Canada, Europe, Australia, Africa, and Latin America. To date, 10,000 Coffee with a Cop events have taken place worldwide in multiple languages.