SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - Three times this past month the Sheboygan Police Department held “Coffee with a Cop” events at area McDonald’s restaurants, giving city residents a chance to speak with officers in a neutral setting.
Lieutenant Mike Williams was a part of all events, and in his opinion the three went well. "It’s nice to have an opportunity to speak with citizens here. Many times we deal with people that are in distress or are having some other form of difficulty, and this is a nice opportunity for us to meet people. They’re just part of the community that we normally wouldn’t meet and to have an idea of what their concerns are, and just talk to them overall about Sheboygan.”
Williams says the topics citizens brought up varied, including the recent snowfall and the problems with cleaning up roadways. “Some of the questions that I’ve taken have to deal with drugs. I think that’s a concern for a lot of people in the community, and others are just more specific about certain things going on in their particular neighborhoods such as abandoned vehicles or properties that aren’t being taken care of.”
Williams adds it is possible to see events like this happen again in 2016, and at other locations. "We’ll be looking at other venues to do this as well. I know I’ve had a request from our senior center to come down there and speak with people. We’ll probably be doing that in the new year here, and we might be looking at other venues for this as well.”