Seven Suffolk Precincts Join National Coffee Outreach Effort

Suffolk Police officers will fan out across the county Oct. 7 for National Coffee with a Cop, offering residents a chance to meet local officers, ask questions and discuss neighborhood concerns in an informal setting.

All seven precincts will participate, with events scheduled from West Babylon to Shirley.

Fifth Precinct officers will meet with the public at BJ’s Wholesale Club, 790 Sunrise Highway in North Bellport, from noon to 1:30 p.m. The Seventh Precinct will host its event at Home Depot, 399 William Floyd Parkway in Shirley, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Coffee with a Cop is designed to break down barriers between police and the communities they serve by encouraging conversation outside traditional law-enforcement settings.

Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, who has hosted several Coffee with a Cop events, said the format gives residents an opportunity to speak directly with the officers serving their neighborhoods.

“This is the kind of grassroots connection we need more of,” DeStefano said. “It’s one thing to read about issues in an email or see them on social media, but when you sit down face-to-face with the people you serve, you hear what’s really on their minds.”

Another frequent Coffee with a Cop host, Senator Dean Murray, said the events also give residents a chance to get to know the people behind the badge.

“This is a great opportunity for the public to see that there are people in our community willing to risk their lives to protect us,” Murray said. “I’m glad so many residents turn out to meet them.”

A Middle Island event will be held Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Longwood Public Library on Middle Country Road, with officers from the Sixth Precinct participating. The library will also host Operation Medicine Cabinet, giving residents an opportunity to safely dispose of expired or unwanted prescription medications.

Other Oct. 7 events will be held in West Babylon, Huntington, East Islip and Commack.

“When residents know the officers who patrol their neighborhoods, it makes for a stronger and safer community,” Assemblyman DeStefano said.