By Hunter Hine

On Wednesday, University of Maryland police hosted Coffee with a Cop, a program where the community can share a coffee and chat with officers at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union Coffee Bar. 

At these events, the UMPD offers free coffee in order to make connections with the community in a non-confrontational and non-crisis setting, UMPD Public Information Officer Sgt. Rosanne Hoaas said. The UMPD holds Coffee with a Cop on the first Wednesday of every month, which began in September. The department planned to start the program last year, but COVID-19 halted the progress. 

“There’s no script here. It’s whatever you want to talk about with your campus police officer, anything and everything,” Hoaas said.

Coffee with a Cop is a larger organization that started in 2011 when the Hawthorne, California police department started having coffee-centered meet and greets to better connect to the community, according to Coffee with a Cop’s website. 

The Coffee with a Cop organization designates one day a year as Coffee with a Cop Day, but UMPD thought it would be more appropriate for the University of Maryland community to host it once a month, Hoaas said. 

Hoaas said one of the unique challenges UMPD faces as a university-based department is the constantly changing community. 

“Not every person’s the same, not everyone has the same background, not everyone went through the same life experiences, and so that alone in itself is critical for us to … have a good sense of our community, have a good pulse of what’s happening, so then that way we can continue to provide resources to our community, and continue to police the values of our community,” Hoaas said.

Through Coffee with a Cop, the UMPD is trying to break the stigmas and negative perception surrounding police, said Liaison Officer Lt. August D. Kenner, who has been with the department for 25 years.

“I think you just change that with a one-on-one interaction and the talking and you know kind of explain exactly what we do,” Kenner said.

Hoaas said that Coffee with a Cop events welcome students who might have criticisms or reservations about police.

“It’s okay to have opposing viewpoints, I’m not going to change everyone’s mind and that’s perfectly fine too,” Hoaas said.

During the event, Kenner directed people towards the coffee and explained the event to students passing through. Several students filtered in and out, and about eight UMPD officers attended the event, including Hoaas and Kenner. 

“For me, it’s not so much the numbers, it’s just knowing that people are here. That’s how I look at it. I don’t need hundreds of people to show up, but I just want some people to show up to show I know it’s worth it,” Hoaas said.

Sabrina Chowdhury, a sophomore letters and sciences student who attended the event for the second time this Wednesday, said that she feels like the police listen to her at the event and address her concerns.

“I see police driving around, but I haven’t got to know them personally. But I’d like to know, since I’m gonna be here for two years. And if I ever need something, I’m gonna have to keep close contact with police,” Chowdhury said.

Xylon Funes, a senior computer science major, came to buy a coffee from the bar, but then saw the police were giving it out for free. Funes talked to some officers after he got his coffee. He said it was his first time there.

“I think it was very interesting because they were … interested in telling you how they work,” Funes said.

UMPD hosts other programs to connect with the community as well, Hoaas said. The UMPD has handed out free ice cream on McKeldin Mall, and also partnered with the Student Government Association and Resident Housing Association in the past to hand out cookies and hot chocolate around finals week, Hoaas said.

The UMPD has also had some help this year from Teddy the Terp, a comfort dog with the UMPD, Hoaas said. The UMPD brought Teddy to the homecoming carnival, where lots of students lined up to meet him. 

“I don’t have children myself, but I do consider the students here my children, as long as I’ve been here. There’s good days and there’s bad days, but at the end of the day it is a privilege to work here, without our community we wouldn’t have jobs,” Hoaas said. “That’s really what it comes down to.” 

Featured image: UMPD held a Coffee With a Cop event at Stamp Coffee Bar on Wednesday. Officers offered free coffee to community members and a chance to participate in casual conversation. Photo by Hunter Hine.