Big Island Now Poll No. 30: Have you seen your concerns addressed after attending a Coffee with a Cop event?

Hearing needs and concerns directly from the public helps police officers better support their communities.

When those face-to-face meetings happen, especially when there’s no agenda, people also are able to see officers as approachable and allies in protecting and caring for their community.

Coffee with a Cop, a popular event conducted regularly around the Big Island by the Hawai‘i Police Department and by police throughout the nation, provides the opportunity for community members and police to have candid conversations and ask questions over a simple cup of joe about topics ranging from sharing personal stories to discussing neighborhood issues.

It’s also an opportunity for people to get to know their district and community policing officers.

The first Wednesday in October each year is National Coffee with a Cop Day throughout the United States. It was first observed in 2016.

The idea of police and community members coming together for a cup of coffee to promote an open dialogue and improve communication, breaking down barriers and bridging relationships within a community, was launched in 2011 by the Hawthorne Police Department in Hawthorne, Calif.

The department sought ways to interact with the community more successfully and established the event. Since then, it has spread to all 50 states.

This year’s National Coffee with a Cop Day is Oct. 4 and the Hawai‘i Police Department is hosting three events around the island in observance:

• 8 to 10 a.m. at Tex Drive In, located at 45-690 Pakalana St. in Honoka‘a.

• 7 to 10 a.m. at Starbucks at the Parker Ranch Center, located at 67-1185 Māmalahoa Highway in Waimea.

• 9 to 11 a.m. at Caffe Florian, located at 81-6337 Māmalahoa Highway in Kealakekua.

With National Coffee with a Cop Day just around the corner, we want to know how effective you think the program is on the Big Island.

Comment here or on social media about why you voted the way you did. Voting ends at midnight Oct. 6. Results will be posted Oct. 8.

You can find the results from last week’s poll that asked “How can emergency access improve in Hawai‘i Island communities?” by clicking here.