Locals share a cup of coffee with Lemoore Police Officers in department outreach

By Ed Martin, Editor
Lemoore Cmdr. Steve Rossi (left) with Officer Mark Pescatore, Starbuck's Manager Mellissa Harbotte and Office Anthony Braley at "Coffee with a Cop."
Lemoore Cmdr. Steve Rossi (left) with Officer Mark Pescatore, Starbuck's Manager Mellissa Harbotte and Office Anthony Braley at "Coffee with a Cop."

Lemoore police officers responded in force to Starbucks Coffee Friday morning, not for any crime that may have been committed – maybe a customer did complain that maybe his latte didn’t have enough soy milk – but rather to meet and greet with the public in a forum the Lemoore Police Department likes to call its “Coffee with Cops” program.

Officer Anthony Braley with Becky Cardwell at Starbucks.
Officer Anthony Braley with Becky Cardwell at Starbucks.

So far Lemoore’s finest have met with coffee drinkers at Rebekah’s Espresso on Hanford Armona Road, the Lemoore Senior Citizens Center, and as of Friday, Starbuck’s.

In all six of Lemoore’s police officers, led by Cmdr. Steve Rossi, were on hand Friday to chat with customers and hand out Lemoore Police Department Coffee mugs in an ongoing effort to provide outreach to the community.  The Leader was a beneficiary of a mug, but failed in an effort to find a single doughnut.

“This is our third event,” said Rossi. “We try to do this every four or six months. This is our third one and we’ve been to Rebekah’s and then the Senior Citizens Center. This is really about community outreach, and it allows us to meet with the public and have them meet our officers. We want them to meet us and get to know us.”

Rosie Madrigal chats with Lemoore Police Department Officer Jon Giles.
Rosie Madrigal chats with Lemoore Police Department Officer Jon Giles.

Rossi went on to say that the coffee venues have been very helpful and look forward to the department’s presence at these events, and judging by the crowd in the coffee shop sipping on hot coffee, souped-up lattes and iced tea, the police officers there couldn’t have been more pleased.

Starbucks Manager Melissa Harbotte couldn’t have been happier. “It’s great, it’s nice to have so many people here in the community be able to come in and talk to them (police), and it’s great to have everyone here,” she said. “They’re very much talking to people. I think they’re doing a great job of connecting with the community. I think the people here definitely appreciate them being here, to be able to answer their questions, and be able to connect and to show more sides of them.”

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