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Community Policing Programs
Coffee with a Cop
- Coffee with A Cop was launched in Hawthorne, California in 2011 when Officers from the Hawthorne Police Department were looking for ways to interact more successfully with the citizens they served each day. Community policing has long been considered a framework for establishing trust between the community and the police. However, over time the character and composition of our nation’s communities have changed due to shifting demographics, more commuters, and the introduction of different communication methods such as websites and social media. The Hawthorne Police Department hit upon a simple plan to break through the barriers that have been built over the years–a cup of coffee. Coffee with a Cop events are now held in all 50 states and is one of the most successful community oriented policing programs across the country. The program has also expanded to outside the Unites States to Canada, Europe, Australia, Africa, and Latin America. The key to Coffee with a Cop’s growing success is that it opens the door for interactions outside of the crisis situations that typically bring law enforcement officers and community members together.
Citizen's Police Academy
- Join your Police Department and learn about administration, traffic operations, investigations, patrol operations, firearms, investigations, special topics like crime prevention, school resource officer, domestic violence and emergency management. Experience firsthand K9 demonstrations and firearms training simulator. Learn and ask questions to our experienced officers and get a behind the scenes tour of our police department. This will be followed by a graduation ceremony upon completion.
Lunch with the Law
- Officers will join kids each month at the Surf City School for lunch where we can work on building trust and open communication with our younger generation. Chief Voorhees said, "Building relationships with our youth sets the foundation for future discussions and creates an atmosphere in which they feel comfortable with the police that serve their community."
Roadside Rollcall
- Our Police Department is always looking for more ways to improve the community and our relationships within the community. We would like to offer up a new program called Roadside Rollcall. Our officers will come to your neighborhood at a scheduled date and time to meet and greet your HOA members, neighborhood residents and kids! We want you to have the opportunity to speak and ask questions openly about any issues, traffic, and other community concerns that you have. Please contact MPO E. Fehling to find out more or schedule a Roadside Rollcall for your neighborhood: efehling@surfcitync.gov
No Shave November
- The Surf City Police Department will be waiving our grooming policy for the month of November every year in support of our annual “No Shave November” fundraiser. All proceeds raised will be going to our annual Shop with a Cop Program. Our community is welcome and encouraged to sponsor an officer during the challenge.
Shop with a Cop
- Shop With A Cop raises money throughout the year in order to provide a joyous Christmas to underprivileged children within our community. Individual officers "partner" with children one-on-one and accompany them to Walmart. Each child is given a large budget to spend on items of their choice. o The Shop with a Cop program reaches out to members of the community who may otherwise hesitate to engage with police officers on a regular basis. It also allows children to become familiar with police and feel comfortable in their presence. It teaches the children that police officers are individuals who have unique interests, goals, and families of their own and that they are here to help. By participating in the program, children gain a positive experience with police officers, officers get to bond with the children and give them a different perspective on the role of police in a local community. Since the children involved in the Shop with a Cop program do not always have positive impressions or experiences with police, it also allows them to develop fond memories of the officers and helps them develop trust with law enforcement officials.
