Coffee with a Cop Meets With Success in Des Plaines

Over fifty residents gathered at the second Coffee with a Cop hosted by the Des Plaines Police Department, 4-6 PM, Wednesday, September 25, 2013, at McDonald's, 444 S. River Road. The second gathering of its kind to be hosted by the Des Plaines Police, the first being held at the Oakton Street McDonald's on August 20, 2013, Coffee with a Cop is a program that police departments throughout the country are sponsoring in an effort to enhance relations with the community.

According to Police Chief William Kushner, “If every time the Des Plaines Police Department hosts a Coffee with a Cop we attract five new people who come to discuss an issue pertinent to them, we will consider this a very successful program. We will be hosting the Coffees at different times and different locations to attract different factions of the community.”

Police Department Commander Louis Wittmer, who is spearheading the Coffee with a Cop series, explained that the gatherings are meant to be informal with no set agenda: “During our Coffee with a Cop series we run the gamut of conversation. We try to cut through the formality and delve into questions and answers right away,” Commander Wittmer said.

According to Wittmer, Coffee with a Cop is a national program originally initiated in Hawthorne, California through a $400,000 grant. Since its inception law enforcement agencies throughout the country have adopted the concept.

“It is hoped that a relaxed environment will break down some of the authoritativeness associated with law enforcement,” Commander Wittmer said.

While the Des Plaines Patrol Division is heading up the Coffee with a Cop, Chief Kushner has also assigned the Support Services Division and Community Action Team (CAT) officers to work on the program. In addition to Chief Kushner and Commander Wittmer, several police personnel were on hand at the September 25, 2013 Coffee with a Cop including Deputy Chief Nick Treantafeles, Commander Chester Zaprzalka, Officer Michael Meyer, Officer Michael Heidkamp, Officer Patrick Brzezinski, Officer Kathryn Kozlowski, and Officer Juan Carlos Molina.

With temperatures in the 70s, numerous residents, visitors, and local officials stopped by to chat with officers and share a cup of coffee on the patio outside the Des Plaines McDonald's. Des Plaines Police hope to host another Coffee in 6-8 weeks.