Owatonna PD “Coffee with a Cop”
Free coffee? And I get to have this free coffee with members of the Owatonna PD? Well, sign me up. Actually there was no sign-up needed, all one had to do was get to the Starbucks location inside Target in Owatonna Wednesday, October 16th. There were members of the police department there for 2 hours in the morning and then 2 hours in the evening.
Starbucks offered complimentary coffee, water, juice, tea, and even hot cocoa. The hot cocoa went over well with the kiddos who came in, as did the stickers that the officers were handing out. In addition to the stickers, you could get a pen and/or a nice pin that carry the saying "Coffee with a Cop."
There was no agenda, just a chance to visit with the officers in a relaxed setting, and maybe get a picture with them. I spoke with Officers Travis Thompson and Anna Peterson about "Coffee with a Cop" and they both said they loved getting out in the community for these kinds of activities. Thompson also said that this was the "first inaugural coffee with a cop" and that they hope to do this more than once a year. Zeb, from Target's security team, said that he appreciated the officers coming in at any time. They are very visual in our community, and we certainly hope they stay that way.
You can learn more about the Owatonna Police Department and what they see here by signing up for the Citizen's Police Academy, there is still time.