General News
7 April, 2023
Have a cuppa with a copper
Ever wanted to chat informally to the local police? The opportunity now exists thanks to an initiative launched last week in Horsham. Known as Coffee with a Cop, the program is running for eight weeks in Horsham Plaza, where every Thursday between...
Ever wanted to chat informally to the local police? The opportunity now exists thanks to an initiative launched last week in Horsham.
Known as Coffee with a Cop, the program is running for eight weeks in Horsham Plaza, where every Thursday between 10am and 11am residents are encouraged to speak to representatives of the Horsham station.
Members of the proactive policing unit and highway patrol and sergeants from Horsham police are making themselves available to provide information and answer questions.
Wimmera proactive policing unit's Leading Senior Constable Teliah Rabone said the initiative was aimed at breaking down misconceptions and "just having a friendly chat with the public".
“We want to break down misconceptions with people," Leading Senior Constable Rabone said. "They see us when we go to jobs (but) we don’t really get interaction on the personal side. This is really important.
"Where it’s an informal setting, members of the community can come up if there are any issues that they’re not comfortable going in to the police station to talk about.
“They can come and have a chat with us, have a coffee and just see that we are just normal members of the community. It’s really important to get over any fear of talking to the cops.”
Leading Senior Constable Rabone said she and her colleagues were also providing advice on subjects as diverse as keeping properties secure and choosing policing as a career.
“With school holidays coming up, we also have some fun coloring activities for children during the Easter break," she said.