Residents are invited to ask questions and join conversations about Woodbury
WOODBURY -- The Woodbury Police Department will hold its second resident outreach program of 2016, called Coffee with Cops. The event will be held at The Colonial Diner (924 N. Broad St.), on April 19 from 3 to 4 p.m. As the sponsoring business, the Colonial Diner, which has recently undergone extensive renovations, will provide free coffee and a casual atmosphere for participants.
Coffee with Cops invites Woodbury residents to ask questions and join conversations about Woodbury community safety concerns and is considered one facet of the department's larger mission "to consistently seek and find ways to affirmatively promote, preserve, and deliver a feeling of security, safety and quality of services to members of our community." The neutral setting of programs like Coffee with Cops fosters one-on-one connections that may assist relations between police officers and residents, as well as support overall community communication.
Mayor Bill Volk states, "Accessible conversations with our police officers supports a citizen positive community. We're happy to have Coffee with Cops and other police outreach programming as ongoing services in the City."
"We've made community engagement a priority of our department," Chief Thomas Ryan says. "In addition to Coffee with Cops, we have more community-outreach programming in the works for 2016 spring and summer." Future programs include a Community Day, which offers an open house at the new Woodbury Police Station (220 S. Broad St.) in partnership with the Municipal Alliance, and a July community event in coordination with Central Baptist Church (37 S. Jackson St.).
The Woodbury Police Department made headlines in 2015 with its record-setting reaccreditation by the NJSACOP and its 2015 foot patrol initiative. The department is also set to receive New Jersey grant funds as part of a statewide initiative to advance the technology of police departments by equipping officers with body cameras. An approved $15,000 in grant money has been earmarked for the tech acquisition.
Upcoming Coffee with Cop dates will be announced. Questions about the program may be directed to Jess Schriver, Community Communication Manager, City of Woodbury, jschriver@woodbury.nj.us. Questions about the Woodbury Police Department may be directed to Chief Tom Ryan, tryan@woodburypd.com. Learn more about Woodbury at www.woodbury.nj.us. Learn more about the Woodbury Police Department at www.woodburypd.com.