Posted on 18 December 2014 by La Habra Journal
By Yajira Perez
La Habra Journal
The La Habra Police Department and Lt. Mel Ruiz hosted the first-ever Coffee with a Cop on Saturday, Dec. 13, at Casa Adelita’s restaurant to welcome the La Habra community.
Coffee with a Cop provided a unique opportunity for community members to ask questions and learn more about the department’s work in La Habra’s neighborhoods. The community trickled in and out of the restaurant to chat with LHPD officers. One of the many who stopped by to have a cup of coffee with the officers was Jason Ho. “I came here looking to get more information on how to apply for the Reserves program with LHPD,” Ho said. After he talked to Ruiz, he said he received a lot of useful information on how to obtain a career with the department. “I’m glad I came in because I made a good contact here on how to move forward with my application.”
Although not all who attended the event were seeking career opportunities. Long-time La Habra residents Mark Lawton and Paul Jaramillo shared some suggestions. 
“You should put a group together for bike rides to speak to the youth at parks,” Lawton suggested. He explained how this may help the youth feel more comfortable with authority figures. “The youth can also help paint houses where it’s needed most,” Jaramillo added. David Gonzalez, the public administrator for the police department, shared that they will soon be launching their own mobile app that will share stories, send alerts and share tips with the community.
Coffee with a Cop is a national initiative supported by the United States Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The program aims to promote community policing through relationship-building between police officers and community members.