Community policing over a cup of Joe

The Jefferson City Police Department hosted Coffee with a Cop Friday morning at Brew House Coffee, 1507 E. McCarty St. Capt. Doug Shoemaker, near left, and Lt. Derrick Heislen, background left, visited with Ed Gray, right, and Clyde Lear and other members of the public about policing issues or any other subjects they cared to bring up.
The Jefferson City Police Department hosted Coffee with a Cop Friday morning at Brew House Coffee, 1507 E. McCarty St. Capt. Doug Shoemaker, near left, and Lt. Derrick Heislen, background left, visited with Ed Gray, right, and Clyde Lear and other members of the public about policing issues or any other subjects they cared to bring up.

A chance to get out and talk with citizens about community and police issues was the idea behind National Coffee With a Cop Day.

Capt. Doug Shoemaker and Lt. Derrick Heislen of the Jefferson City Police Department talked with patrons of Brew House Coffee on East McCarty Street Friday morning.

"This is an excellent way for our community to get to know our officers," said Fourth Ward City Councilman Carlos Graham, who chairs the council's public safety committee and co-owns Brew House Coffee. "I call them our heroes."

Most who came to talk to the officers were just there to discuss everyday issues but no specific problems.

"When I was a young person, I was involved in an incident where an officer pulled me out of a vehicle with three other young people and made sure I didn't get involved in trouble that the rest of the group was," said Ed Gray, who came by to chat with the officers. "That always made an impression on me, and I spent most of my career in the law enforcement field. This is an excellent way to avoid the problems we've seen in Ferguson and Charlotte."

"Jefferson City has always been very supportive of us," Shoemaker said. "Those we've talked with today had no real particular problem or issues. This is an extension of community policing efforts, and any chance we have to get out and interact with residents in a setting like this, it is a positive thing. I think events like this have helped with the image of the police department in the community."

Graham said he plans to offer free coffee to officers at Brew House Coffee every Friday so there will be more time for interaction with officers and citizens.