WKU police host Coffee with a Cop event
BOWLING GREEN, Ky.-Students at Western Kentucky University spent the morning drinking coffee and talking with law enforcement at the first ever Coffee with a Cop event put on by Western Kentucky Police Department.
Members of the community and students were invited to talk with police and Warren County Attorney Amy Milliken to learn more about who they are and what they do.
Over cups of coffee, tea and other beverages students spoke with Chief Mitch Walker sharing concerns about campus safety and staying out of trouble.
“I think on the college campus police are made to be kind of villains, but they’re just here for our protection,” said Caroline Simpson, economics major at WKU.
The perception of police on college campuses is sometimes negative. That’s what WKU police and Milliken hope to change with Coffee with a Cop.
“They say you better be good, or the police will get you. That’s not what we want them to think. We want them to think, the police are here to help you,” Milliken said.
For students it’s a chance to get to ask questions and meet with law enforcement. For Walker, it’s about building trust and community.
“With any of the laws that we enforce there can be some miscommunication there. That’s why it’s important for us to build relationships, and have conversations about why we do what we do,” Walker said.
WKU police hopes to continue having Coffee with a Cop, and is inviting not just students, but all members of the Bowling Green community to come out and be a part of it.
