Pictured( L to R) Sgt. Carl Mase, Lt. Craig Austenberg, Chief Stephen Beecher, Officer Lonnie Elbaum

The Mount Olive Police Department invites the public to have “Coffee With a Cop” on Monday December 5th from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. at the Budd Lake Diner, 120 Route 46 Budd Lake, NJ 07828. Coffee with a Cop is a national initiative supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Policing Services.

Chief Stephen Beecher said “Officer Lonnie Elbaum advocated for our police department to initiate the program. The program was easy to support. This is part of the Mount Olive Police Departments continuing effort to reach out to the community to create opportunities for dialogue with the people we serve. There is no script, just a chance to ask questions, voice concerns, exchange information or get to know your police officers.”

Officer Lonnie Elbaum stated “Law enforcement contacts with the community tend to be during emotional situations. These moments are often not conducive for relationship building with the public. Additionally, some people feel that officers are not approachable on the street. I believe that a direct connection in a non-crisis manner between the community and the Mount Olive Township Police Department can only strengthen the relationship between the two.”

The Mount Olive Police Department will have other opportunities for “Coffee with a Cop” at other locations throughout the township over the coming months.

The “Coffee with A Cop” program was launched in Hawthorne, California in 2011 and has had success as a relationship building tool in community policing. The program has been used in all fifty (50) states and outside the country. For further information see the Coffee with a Cop website: https://coffeewithacop.com/about/