For the City Times
Submitted by the Portage County Sheriff’s Department

CUSTER — Sheriff Mike Lukas invites the public to join him and some of his deputies for a cup of coffee and a chat about our community on Wednesday, Oct. 3, from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM at the Polonia Café, 7419 County Highway Z, Custer.

There are no agendas, no speeches, just a chance to ask questions, voice concerns, and get to know members of the Sheriff’s Office.

This, coincidentally, is national Coffee with a Cop week. The mission of Coffee with a Cop is to break down the barriers between law enforcement officers and the citizens they serve. 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.

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.