Coffee with Chief Taylor

CRESTVIEW— Crestview Police Department officers descended on Casbah Coffee Wednesday morning to complete an objective. No burglars or drug dealers were at the scene but the mission was clear: listen.

There was little engagement in the community aside from job duties when Tony Taylor was named the CPD’s chief in 2012. He started a regular gathering at a casual location for residents to meet him and other officers while providing the department with feedback.

“It’s an opportunity to keep a finger on the pulse of the community,” Taylor said about the ‘Coffee with a Cop’ initiative.

Coffee with a Cop is a national push to increase interaction between police agencies and the residents they serve. The idea has spread to all 50 states since its 2011 conception in California, according to its website.

“I had no idea it was a national initiative when [CPD] decided to do it,” Taylor said, adding that having such an event “just made sense” when he joined the department.

Meeting with the community in a public place allows residents to approach officers in a more casual setting to offer suggestions, voice complaints, give thanks or simply meet the department’s leadership.

“It’s important to come here with no agenda,” Taylor said. “It provides a neutral ground for complaints.”

Residents might not be inclined to visit a station or call an administrative phone line with issues or concerns because it can be uncomforting, according to Taylor. The response CPD receives at community events helps them better understand the needs of people it serves.

Wednesday’s two-hour event attracted several residents who discussed traffic, speeding, youth initiatives and expressed support for Crestview’s officers.

“A couple [people] had real issues such as speeding on their streets,” Taylor said. The department can take such information and divert patrol efforts to the concern areas for monitoring.

Without residents’ input, some issues go without police knowledge, Taylor added.

“Sometimes, as chief, I’m the last one to hear about issues and I rely on that feedback to keep me informed,” Taylor said.

A date has not been set for the next Coffee with a Cop event, according to CPD public information officer Brian Hughes.

The department is exploring hosting the event at a recurring location every month so the community can expect and plan for the event.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Coffee with Chief Taylor