Coffee Connects Community

“It’s a way of reaching out to the community,” said 41 Division Crime Prevention Officer Constable Mark McCabe. “It’s a place where you get to meet people, as opposed to them coming to see us. You meet people who are not comfortable talking in a large group. We just want to build that trust with the community and get some dialogue going back and forth. I just want people to feel comfortable when they are talking to us.”

Staff Sergeant Debra Houston relishes the opportunity to reach out to the public.

“I love this experience,” she said. “For me as an officer, I get to talk to people face-to-face on different and current issues that pertain to their environment. I love people and it’s just great to be able to connect with them on that basic level.”

McCabe said he has spoken to other officers about spreading the initiative to other officers and hopes to see more Divisions adopt the practice.