Quality Coffee Time with the Trinity Cops

TUPD offers Trinity students donut holes and coffee
Photos by Nipuni Gomes

By Nipuni Gomes

Trinity University Police Department served up coffee and donut holes for students, faculty, and staff in the campus esplanade this morning, inviting people to have “Coffee with a Cop.”

This event is an initiative to foster the Trinity community’s relationship with its police department as well as raise awareness of the services TUPD has to offer.

“This is one of our best events because our community loves coffee and donuts!” said Paul Morales, Corporal of Community Awareness at TUPD. “I think we gain the students’ trust as being approachable, and not as some mean cops out there.”

Several TUPD officers, including the Chief of Police Paul Chapa, set up two stands near the Magic Stones and chatted with students, faculty, and staff who sipped coffee and munched on glazed, powdered-sugar-coated, and sugar-sprinkled donut holes. Officers also handed out royal blue Frisbees with TUPD’s logo and contact information stamped on them.

While serving coffee and food, the officers also told people about their services. One of them is Escart, a late-night escort service for students who feel uneasy trekking the campus alone. Another is Elerts, a smartphone application that allows students to contact TUPD more easily in case of emergency, as well as anonymously report disturbances on campus.

They also offer risk prevention programs such as the Rape Aggression Defense class, which students can take for a P.E. credit, and Active Shooter Awareness Training.

“Our main purpose with this is interaction with the students, faculty, and staff. We want them to see the people behind the uniform, as well as to promote our facility and its services so they know we’re here for them, always,” said Pete Perez, assistant chief of police at TUPD.

This morning’s coffee event is the third one in about a year. “The Coffee with a Cop initiative is about interacting with the Trinity community and asking them about their Trinity experience,” said Chief Chapa, who saw such an event as particularly relevant amid the recent negative perception of policing nationwide.

"Events like this give us a chance to let the community know, ‘hey, we are part of you,’ and that there’s not that huge separation between the police department and the community,” he said.

The initiative was well received. “I came out of class and, wow! Donuts! It makes TUPD officers seem a lot more approachable, more personable,” said Emily Shultz, a sophomore Biology major.

Another Biology major, senior Celina Provencio, who attended the event this morning, appreciated that TUPD took the time to reach out to the student population.

Coffee and donut holes at the event

“I often feel TUPD is portrayed as officers, there solely to enforce campus regulation. However, Coffee with a Cop allows for a more relaxed environment in which TUPD can get to know the student body more personably and vice versa,” said Provencio.