Coffee With a Cop Returns
DIAMOND SPRINGS, Calif. — Residents looking for a chance to talk directly with members of the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office will have a seat at the table Sept. 16.
The Sheriff’s Office is inviting the public to its next Coffee With a Cop gathering at Caffe Santoro, where deputies and other members of the agency will be available from 7 to 10 a.m.
The format is deliberately informal: Coffee, conversation and questions.
For residents of Cameron Park and surrounding El Dorado County communities, the event offers an opportunity to raise issues directly with members of the agency rather than waiting for a formal meeting or community forum.
“This is a great opportunity to ask questions, share concerns, and continue building strong relationships which support everyone in our community,”
the Sheriff’s Office said in its announcement.
No formal agenda — just conversation
Coffee With a Cop events are designed to put law enforcement officers and community members in the same room in a setting that is considerably less formal than a sheriff’s station or public meeting.
Residents can come with questions about public safety, neighborhood concerns, law enforcement services or issues affecting their communities.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office has held similar coffee gatherings in the past. A 2016 Coffee With a Cop event at Caffe Santoro in Cameron Park was promoted as a community engagement opportunity with
“no agendas or speeches, just coffee and conversation.”
That basic idea remains straightforward: Give residents and law enforcement an opportunity to talk face to face.
For a county as geographically spread out as El Dorado County — from Cameron Park and El Dorado Hills to the foothills and communities farther east — those personal connections can be an important part of community policing.
Event details
What: Coffee With a Cop
When: Sept. 16, 7-10 a.m.
Where: Caffe Santoro, Cameron Park
Who: Members of the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office and members of the public
Residents do not need to wait for a crisis to participate. The Sheriff’s Office is encouraging community members to stop by, have a cup of coffee and start a conversation.
The event is also a chance for residents who may rarely interact with deputies outside of an emergency or traffic stop to put faces to the agency responsible for law enforcement services throughout much of unincorporated El Dorado County.
For local residents, the message is simple: Come with a question. Bring a concern. Or just come have coffee.
