Coffee and Conversation

The return of a community favorite, ‘Coffee with a Cop’, took place on Wednesday morning, August 5, at The Burrow. With newly appointed Police Chief Joe Belardo now at the helm, he was happy to see this event make its comeback.

“It's good for us. We get to be central and meet more people than we would regularly. So, we're happy.” Belardo was pleased with the impressive turnout of the MIPD force, with well over two dozen officers ready to mingle with the community, coffee in hand.

Another area of praise from Belardo came for the efforts of newly hired Public Information Officer Christian Davies, whom he credits for the boosted engagement on socials and in person. “We've seen our community events have been a lot better attended now, with our new social media.” He went on to say that with Davies’ work, “He is a lot of the reason why these events have increased in attendance. It has been changed around and we have got a lot more engagement. It is sort of a two-way thing now; we allow public comment. That has been very popular with people. They get to engage with us, and can put their input, which is what we want.”

Belardo is happy with how well their new social media campaign has been received and the overwhelmingly positive responses from it.

Davies joined the conversation and chimed in on the event, “We are hoping to make ‘Coffee with a Cop’ a monthly event. We anticipate them to be highly attended.” He shared that they plan to rotate their locations, being sure to not only patronize many Marco Island businesses but also show them their support and give them due shout-out on social media. “It is another way we get to interact with the community,” said Davies.

As community members began to trickle in, order their coffee, peruse the table of MIPD goodies to take home, and talk with a cop, Davies could be seen busy at work documenting the event.

“It's been really fun. I enjoy it. Joe became the boss like a week after I started. We sat down, talked, and were in agreement – we shared the same common goal. It has worked out very well and we have a great working relationship,” Davies said as he snapped pictures.

Office Ray Leshinger could also be seen mingling, known as the force’s ‘Community Guy’ and regularly seen at events and in the public eye. He touched on his positive collaborative work with Davies and also praised the Marco Island community, “I always tell people, ‘You have no idea what it's like to work in a bad place’.” He continued with his appreciation for the residents, “The support you get in this community is sick. It really makes you feel good.” He pointed to two children playing, “And it's all about these guys. That's why I became a cop, to make sure these guys were good.”

Keep an eye on the Marco Island Police Department’s Facebook page, along with other social media platforms, and their City of Marco Island website for information on the next Coffee with a Cop date and location.