The New Canaan Police Department on Tuesday morning held its first open public meet-and-greet downtown since the COVID-19 pandemic set in early last year.
Created in 2016, ‘Coffee with A Cop’ is designed to give residents a chance to sit down and form positive relationships with local police officers.
“It’s great that we’re able to do it again and feel safe to interact with everyone,” Police Chief Leon Krolikowski told NewCanaanite.com outside of Zumbach’s Gourmet Coffee on Pine Street, a regular host of the event.
“I think obviously we like to get out into the community and interact with everybody, so it’s really important to have these kinds of things,” Krolikowski said.
Prior to this week’s gathering, “Coffee with a Cop” last was held in February 2020 at Zumbach’s. Last week, the state relaxed many mask-wearing requirements, including that both vaccinated and unvaccinated people don’t need to wear them outdoors.
“People are starting to feel more comfortable,” according to Krolikowski.
It’s also a good time to reinforce good relations between residents and police. This week (May 25) also marks the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. In the wake of Floyd’s death, New Canaan Police joined thousands of locals last June to protest police brutality and racism.
“Sadly, there’s a lot of anti-police sentiment going on in our nation,” Krolikowski said. “Good news is it’s not local, the way we treat the community, for lots of different reasons.”
Wendy Hilboldt, a town resident and EMT with New Canaan Emergency Medical Services standing nearby, said, “I’m so proud of the effort that you [the Police Department] have made.”
Referring to police officers, Hilbolt said, “They are our brothers.”
Asked how he felt about Coffee with a Cop returning for the first time in more than one year, Krolikowski said, “I’m looking forward to the future.”
We have an amazing group of men and women in the NC police department. We should be thankful for all they do !!!