To meet residents on a personal basis and strengthen mutual cooperation, Murphy Police Department will host Coffee with a Cop on Saturday, March 16.

Chief Arthur Cotten will be joined by patrol officers to visit with Murphy residents from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Chick-fil-A, 117 E. FM 544.

“While we always look forward to helping residents through the sometimes traumatic events that life presents, it’s always more pleasing to meet over coffee and chat about how we can improve our service level,” Cotten said. “At the same time, we can give residents some ideas on how they can be part of the public safety equation.”

The initial outreach by the chief resulted in several “Coffee with the Chief” events that proved to be very enlightening for participants. Based on their popularity, Cotten has decided to expand the opportunity for interaction and include other members of the force.

“We have a police force that is filled with men and women dedicated to making Murphy a safe and welcoming place,” Cotten said. “Our first priority is being a resource to our residents. The Coffee with a Cop will allow us to interact with them, introduce ourselves to them, answer their questions, and get to know them. Our residents deserve nothing less.”

The officers will be available throughout the 90-minute event, unless an emergency occurs during that time.

For more stories like this, see the March 14 issue or subscribe online.

By Joe Reavis • [email protected]