Campus Police Sergeant Jimmy Vickers-Dews explains the role of law enforcement to students in attendance.
Coffee with a Cop is a national organization that offers police departments around the U.S. a chance to reach out to their community and create a bond between citizens and officers. Michael Seale, the TJC police chief, hosted TJC’s first Coffee with a Cop on Oct. 3.
The purpose of Coffee with a Cop is to start building a relationship between police officers and the community they serve.
“This event is a chance for the community to get to know the police department, its officers, and talk about anything,” Seale said. “It is meant to be a relaxed environment without any agendas.”
Seale said he believes in the past the TJC Police Department hasn’t been involved enough with students on campus and he is trying to change that. One of the steps he is taking to counter that issue is to host this event once every semester, and possibly more often than that if they are able, he said.
During the event on Thursday, officers who were present answered students’ questions, asked students about themselves, and spoke with all the students and faculty who attended. Free coffee and breakfast were also provided.
Sergeant Jimmie Vickers-Dews, who works at the campus police department, attended and answered questions from students about jobs at the department, such as the position of student cadet. Vickers-Dews said even though they aren’t licensed officers, cadets are paid workers and students with any major can apply.
Illustration by Katie Goggans
“There is one position open, and if you’re interested you can come by and get an application,” Vickers-Dews said. “We work with your schedule, and often let cadets choose what they want their schedule to look like.”
Vickers-Dews also asked students if they felt safe, and if there was anything the department could do to help them feel safer.
John McCambridge, another TJC officer in attendance, also asked students questions like what their majors are and where they wanted to work. McCambridge gave advice to students who wanted to be officers in the future and spoke about the different job opportunities available to those with a degree in criminal justice.
