A neighbor’s overgrown weeds. Traffic concerns. Curiosity about an officer’s favorite — and least favorite — parts of the job.
Those were among the conversations that filled the lobby of Citizens Bank on Thursday morning as Philomath Police personnel chatted with residents over free coffee and doughnuts during the latest Coffee with a Cop event.
For Police Chief Dave Gurski, the casual format is exactly the point.
“It’s a great way for us to connect with the community,” Gurski said. “If they have questions about the police department or problems in their neighborhood or concerns that they have in town, it’s a great platform for them to come and get the information.”
The conversations Thursday ranged from livability issues to lighter exchanges, Gurski said. One resident raised concerns about tall weeds and overgrown brush at a neighboring property — the kind of complaint a city ordinance can address. Traffic questions are a familiar topic, too.
“It’s good to get that feedback to know where we need to focus our efforts,” he said.
Other visitors simply came to meet an officer.
“Some of them are just curious. They don’t know what it’s about, they want to just talk to a police officer,” Gurski said. “Some of them are questions about, ‘hey, what’s the favorite thing that you do in your job,’ or ‘what’s the least favorite thing,’ or ‘what’s the most stressful thing that you’ve encountered.’ I think it’s just a good platform for people to come and get to meet us.”
Joining Gurski on Thursday were Officer Jim Weikel, Officer Colter Forrest and Administrative Assistant Katie Miller. In a small town, the chief said, those introductions matter.
“We live in such a small community where they enjoy knowing who the officers are,” Gurski said. “You want to recognize them.”
Coffee with a Cop is a national nonprofit effort that began in 2011 with the Hawthorne (California) Police Department and has since spread across the country. The national observance falls on the first Wednesday in October, but Philomath’s department typically opts for a spring date because of a packed fall calendar that includes the Public Safety Chili Cook-off and Trunk or Treat.
Citizens Bank has hosted Philomath’s version more than once. Branch Manager Brent Kaseman said the partnership fits the bank’s approach.
“Citizens Bank is a community relationship-style bank, and the idea of Coffee with a Cop is growing community and even developing relationships with our officers,” Kaseman said. “It’s just a nice fit in that way.”
The bank’s day-to-day relationship with the police department is also a close one — both physically and operationally. Kaseman said he doesn’t hesitate to call the nonemergency line when something looks off outside the branch.
“I’m always comfortable calling the nonemergency number when appropriate just to say, ‘something is unusual, just a heads up,'” he said. “They’re very supportive, and I mention that to all community members that they want us to call in like that. If it ends up being nothing, that’s fine. If it’s something, they want to know.”
