By Shanee Frazier, Staff Writer
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Two new initiatives will be instituted in the coming weeks that are geared toward strengthening the relationship between the South Orange Police Department and the local community: Coffee with a Cop and Positive Behavior Citations.
The two programs are the result of collaboration between the police department’s community relations division and the Public Safety Committee of the South Orange Village Board of Trustees.
In an email interview with the News-Record, Trustee Sheena Collum, chairwoman of the Public Safety Committee, explained that while the new initiatives are inspired by recent national headlines in Ferguson, Staten Island, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn and other places, they are proactive in nature rather than a reactive response to any tensions in the community.
“At the local level, it made us think long and hard about the importance of a strong relationship between law enforcement and the community they serve. The Board of Trustees recognized and applauded all the existing programs that the police department had in place to build relationships with residents, but we wanted to do even more,” Collum said.
“We sat down with our police chief, Jim Chelel, and Community Relations Officer Sgt. Adrian Acevedo to discuss what opportunities and new ideas could help us achieve this goal.”
Representatives of the South Orange Police Department did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
Coffee with a Cop and Positive Behavior Citations are the result of the discussions between the Board of Trustees and the SOPD.
Coffee with a Cop will take place Thursday, April 23, at 7 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 103 Valley St. in South Orange. This program has been instituted in more than 175 cities across the nation; it provides a forum for residents to informally meet local law enforcement officers one-on-one, ask questions and build partnerships.
Positive Behavior Citations focuses on youth. When police officers observe juveniles doing something positive, they will issue a positive citation noting their behavior. The ticket has a tear off which can then be redeemed for a slice of pizza at Pirates Pizza or an ice cream at Coldstone Creamery.
Although the SOPD currently has other initiatives in place, such as the Junior Police Academy, participation in National Night Out, a Neighborhood Watch Program, etc., Collum said that the two new initiatives are a result of a desire to do more and a recognition that the work of building strong bonds is never done.
“We felt that this initiative would lead to a lot more interactions between youth and law enforcement and it’s critical to start at an early age,” she said. “We want our officers to be viewed not only as enforcers of the law but people that can be turned to for help and support.”
For more information on Coffee with a Cop, visit http://coffeewithacop.com.