On Thursday morning, Alliance Police Department officers met with citizens at Newberry’s for the first Coffee with a Cop event as a way to form deeper bonds between the police and the community.
APD Chief Philip Lukens believes the event went well, noting a positive turnout.
“Many people were able to at least speak with an officer or two,” said Lukens. “Many continued offering their support while others had some questions about specific issues that related to them. Though we had several people and all the tables were full at one point, I always would like to have even more.”
Lukens emphasized the importance of meeting with community members. He said it contributes to the well-being of the community as a whole.
“The more we hear from the community the better job we can do for them,” Lukens said. “I truly hope people discover that we are approachable, we care, we serve, and we want to provide the absolute best police service around. Our city may not have every attraction under the sun, but it’s still great bragging rights when you have a nice, safe community contributing to quality of life. I don’t want people to like the police, I want them to love them. The only way that happens is for them to know what we do, why we do it, and how it is in their best interest.”
The Alliance Police Department plans to host similar events in the future.