[Passaic Valley Today] Officers with the Little Falls Police Department have kicked off a program so they can talk to residents in person more frequently.
The department hosted its first event for the program, called Coffee with a Cop, on Aug. 3, from 10 a.m. to noon, in The Falls Kitchen restaurant. A program that exists nationwide, its goal is to strengthen the relationship between police and residents in the community.
"We hope the event started dialogue," said Little Falls Police Chief Steven Post. "We hope that community members will feel comfortable to ask questions, bring concerns, or simply get to know our officers.
"If someone has an issue, say with traffic for example, we'll discuss it," Post noted.
The two-hour event was informal: residents were invited to come to The Falls Kitchen, enjoy a breakfast Danish and a cup of coffee, and chat with officers in town about issues that concern them or pique their interest.
Bridging communication between law enforcement officials and members of the community is something municipalities around the nation are striving to do in light of various crimes and police-related shootings that have occurred in recent years.
There haven't been issues in Little Falls, according to law enforcement officials and residents in town, but Little Falls, like other communities, continues to work to strengthen relations between its police department and residents.
On Wednesday, Aug. 17, St. Agnes Episcopal Church is hosting a prayer service for peace and unity in the nation. The service is scheduled to start at 7 p.m., at the church, 65 Union Ave.
Iced tea and snacks will be served in the parish afterward.
"It's something people want and will support," said the Rev. Deacon Deborah Rucki Drake, who handed out flyers about the prayer service during the Coffee with a Cop event. "Hopefully the service will bring people together and they will form connections out of it."
The prayer service hopes to initiate healthy discussion between police officers and residents while trying to understand each other.
