The Gainesville Police Department (GPD) sent officers to coffee shops across the city for Coffee with a Cop on Wednesday. The law enforcement officers aimed to connect with citizens through down-to-earth conversations. 

Officers from the Gainesville Police Department were available at three locations in Gainesville, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office sent representatives to two locations, and the Santa Fe Police Department showed up at two Santa Fe College locations. 

Several officers spent a few hours at Darrell’s Dog Gone Good Diner on Wednesday morning, sitting at tables sipping coffee and chatting with anyone who came to their tables. Lt. Summer Kerkau and Lt. Renee Guyan talked with Darrell’s Good Diner manager Patricia High, and they said it was good to find the similarities in their lives and work. 

“Just because we do one job and she does another doesn’t mean that we don’t have things in common,” Kerkau said. “It’s nice to have that connection.” 

Cassandra Moore works for the Alachua County Victims Services & Rape Crisis Center, a job that often has her collaborating with GPD. She said she came to Coffee with a Cop to personally support the police, but also to keep the connection strong between GPD and victim services, and to be available for any community members who had questions. 

“We want people to know that there are resources available,” Moore said. “We want you to know that, not only law enforcement, but victim services are 24/7.” 

T.J. Miedzianowski ordered a black coffee at Coffee Culture and sat down to talk with a few of the officers in the shop. He said he wanted to thank them and show his support. 

“I don’t think they get enough respect,” Miedzianowski said. “I just wanted to say thank you to the officers, shake their hands, you know. The proper thing to do.” 

Cpl. Bill Gough was one of many officers who spent the morning at Coffee Culture. He said the day’s goal was to meet and interact with citizens who might not otherwise feel comfortable interacting with police. 

Gough is part of GPD’s co-responder program, an initiative started in 2018 that partners police officers with mental health clinicians from Meridian Behavioral Healthcare. Gough said his therapist partner helps make him look more approachable, and together they respond to mental health calls. 

Co-responder teams are tasked with mitigating situations that range from someone having a bad day, to being distressed, to actively making suicide attempts. Gough said he and his partner are usually able to de-escalate situations verbally. 

Though Coffee Culture’s parking lot was full of police vehicles as officers attempted to reach the community in a relaxed environment, Gough treats every day like Coffee with a Cop. He said he stops by Coffee Culture most days he works, and the organic conversations he has with people at the shop help build connections and positive interactions. 

Gough said interactions like those at Coffee with a Cop are important to help citizens know that police officers are people, and they care about the community. 

“We do the things that we do to try to help make citizens lives better and safer,” Gough said.