LYNN — Aside from protecting the community, the Police Department has also put a focus on bridging the social gap between the community and the department by doing something simple — connecting over a cup of coffee.
Community members were encouraged to head down to Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee on Munroe Street to participate in the monthly “Coffee with a Cop” event, to connect with officers in a purely social setting as a way of breaking down barriers of stigma that often separate the community from police.
Patrol Officer Karen Hogan noted that the event has been going on for several years now, and since she joined the department two years ago, it hasn’t just been a regular part of her job — it’s also one of her favorites.
“I grew up in the city … So, I think it’s important to see people that grew up in Lynn also working for the city and represent the community in a way where it’s relatable,” Hogan said. “Having grown up in the city, I know downtown, I know the residents, and I think a lot of the people that I grew up with like seeing that, as well as a familiar face.”
Hogan said that it’s “rewarding working in the position that I’m in and seeing everybody. I patrol my old neighborhood, and I love that.”
Patrol Officer Nicklas Davidsen added to Hogan’s point, saying that “it’s very important for people to see cops as part of the community.”
“It humanizes us, makes us part of the community, which I think is very important for us to be able to do our jobs,” Davidsen said. “I think it’s great.”
Hogan continued, “We’re people behind this uniform — the uniform doesn’t define us, and I think when people come here, they’ll see that.”
She said when people show up to sit down over a cup of coffee with the officers, Hogan hopes they talk about “whatever they want to bring to the table.
“Whether they have questions about the job, the community, or things impacting the community, we hope that we can put their fears or concerns aside, or to bed, and give them whatever they want. … There are no set instructions, we’re just supposed to interact with the public in a positive way,” Hogan said.
Davidsen said it’s important to get to know the members of the community.
“It’s important to get to know them in a more personal way than when you just show up at their door and take their information, or hear a story — it’s just a more personal way to connect with the people that we’re actually working for,” he said.
Hogan elaborated on why events like “Coffee with a Cop” help break down that stigma that can disconnect police from their communities.
“It’s all about public perception, and how we hold ourselves in public… Social media plays an impact in that, too. If you see a cop act in a negative light, you have to understand that it’s a moment of a clip, and it may not be the whole interaction,” Hogan said. “I think just allowing people to come here and talk to us shows that we can relate to people on a base level.”
Davidsen continued on that point, noting that it’s “a huge factor in getting to know our community.”
“The community seeing us as human helps us be able to get to know them better, and better know what the community needs from us,” he said.
