By Tim Kelly
Patrons of the Dead End Bakehouse at 1050 Bay Avenue received a pleasant surprise Wednesday when they stopped in for their morning refreshment: the coffee was free and so was the interaction with members of the Community Oriented Policing Unit (COPS) of the Ocean City Police Department.
It was all part of “Coffee With Cops,” a regular event around town designed to help police and the community get to know each other better, answer questions, and mostly see each other in a new light.
Long before police-community relations became a hot button topic nationwide, the OCPD established the program as a way to interact with the public.
“These events are great opportunities for people to get to know us and for us to know them,” Patrolman Neal Cullen said.
Cullen is not a member of the COPS unit, but stopped in anyway, as did several other police officers.
“Sometimes we meet people under the worst circumstances or when they are having a really bad day. Here’s a chance to interact in a nice casual and friendly setting,” said Cullen, a recent hire now in his sixth month with the department.
Those who stopped by were in agreement.
“I think (Coffee With Cops) is great,” said Nancy Deckard, a 20-year Ocean City resident. “You can have a nice one-on-one chat with the officers. There is no issue on either side, and you can just talk.”
The COPS unit has been around since 1996. It performs a myriad of formal duties, but its main job is to interact with the people it serves.
From giving tours of the police department for school and community groups, to performing home and business anti-crime assessments and almost everything in between, the COPS unit is there for the people of Ocean City.
Want to identify your property in case it is lost or stolen? They will lend you the engraving tool to do so as part of their Operation ID. The unit also sends its officers out to meetings of community clubs and organizations and conducts a youth leadership safety program to inform youth and promote internet safety and security, pedestrian and bike safety, drug and alcohol awareness and much more.
COPS and its officers also put on two special events of their own, the COPS Chase 5K run and walk held each June; and the Youth Summer Camp for kids 10 through 14.
It was the first Coffee With Cops event since Police Chief Jay Prettyman officially was sworn in to the department’s top spot recently. He was not in attendance yet when a reporter dropped by, but was reached via text.
“(Questions or concerns) can be addressed in a casual setting,” Prettyman said of Coffee With Cops. “It also gives the Police Department an opportunity to support our local businesses and to reinforce those important relationships.”
Sarah Leone, Dead End Bakehouse manager, was happy to see the police on hand greeting customers and passing out informative literature from a table in a corner of the store.
“I have been a part of these events in the past at Drip ‘n Scoop (where she also works). We were happy to do it. We were a bit concerned there might not be enough space inside, but we made it work. It’s a great program,” Leone said.
Eddie Wagner, working on a nearby construction job, said there were police officers in his family and he was comfortable talking to cops. Nevertheless, he felt the program was beneficial, especially for those whose contact with police was rare.
“Yes, definitely,” Wagner said when asked if he was a fan of the program. “A lot of people (aren’t comfortable) around police, but here they are, meeting with them. They can address their concerns or ask their questions in a nice atmosphere.”
