Lunch With a Cop at the Princess
The police department has embarked on a new initiative to strengthen its community policing approach. The three regional commanders of the Eastern Division came together today to Lunch with a Cop. The program will take place on a monthly basis; the cops will meet with ordinary folks to get a sense of what’s happening in the communities as well as how residents can contribute to the well being of the neighborhood. ACP Edward Broaster explains.
ACP Edward Broaster, Regional Commander, Rural Eastern Division
“I think due to the small publicity that we did yesterday, we had a view people come in today. I think that in the future, we need to publicize it more prior to the actual event and we will have the participation of the community.”
Reporter
“Sir is this a situation where it is just a matter of meeting and greeting in a different setting or will this be open to questions where people can come in and actually ask questions, including the media or just regular citizens?”
Edward Broaster
ACP Edward Broaster
“It is more geared towards regular citizens that can come in and ask us questions and share their opinions, share their ideas, and even address concerns that they have with the police department.”
Reporter
“Were there any such concerns raised today?”
ACP Edward Broaster
“No, the crew that I sat with, I shared with them some programs that we plan to do and they shared with me some programs that they are doing as well. We talked about teaming up in the future in dealing with programs addressing kids and issues surrounding kids. I shared a program with them that we plan to implement this year for the summer where we will be doing a program called “Shop with a Cop.” We’ll be identifying needed students in schools and we will pair them up with a police officer who will take them shopping and get some of the needs that they may have to go back to school. And it is going to be a program that will see the officer following up, visiting the home as well as planning trips not just for the child, but hopefully for the family as well.”
