The local Fraternal Order of Police hosted a Coffee with a Cop event Wednesday morning.
The event at the Joshua Cup in downtown Crawfordsville coincided with National Coffee with a Cop Day which started in 2016 as part of National Community Policing Week. It is the first Wednesday in October of every year.
The day was created to lessen the divide between communities and law enforcement.
Members of the Crawfordsville Police Department and Montgomery County’s Sheriff’s Office both shared that same goal when planning the event.
Crawfordsville Police Chief Aaron Mattingly expressed his desire to connect with the people of Crawfordsville and build a better, more transparent, relationship with the community. The sheriff’s office had the same desire, wanting to talk to people in the community on a more personal level.
Detective Jared Kirby with the Montgomery Sheriff’s Office addressed complaints he said the community had about frequent traffic stops.
“The number one concern from our community is speeding,” Kirby said.
Police and deputies are out performing traffic stops to keep the community safe, he added
Kirby hopes the event is just one of many more to come.
The Indiana State Police and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources also had officers attend the event.
FOP members also collected donations at a table outside the coffee shop for the Baldwin Memorial Scholarship Fund.