Residents encourage police over cup of coffee
MADISON — Police officers were invited to the McDonald’s here on Highway 51 Wednesday morning to sip coffee with customers in a show of appreciation.
McDonald’s Corporate organized the event, called “Coffee with a Cop,” with a goal of getting to know officers on a more personal level.
Cheryl Brooks, the assistant manager, said the restaurant usually has a lot of customers coming in for breakfast and they wanted to not only have customers relax and chat with police officers, but also give back to the MPD.
“The officers are the ones who look out for the company and patrol around here,” Brooks said. “They are a big help to us. Stuff like this has a big impact on the community since the officers are out and about and more involved besides just patrolling around. I appreciate them and their hard work. They’re doing an awesome job.”
Officers arrived at the Madison McDonald’s around 8 a.m. Wednesday morning along with a few customers.
One customer, Doug Potterfield, lives in Madison and said MPD does a great job and it’s a good thing for them to take the time to sit down and chat with citizens.
“Madison is safe and a great place to live, and the officers do a great job,” Potterfield said. “I can’t say enough about them. Them coming out here to interact with us is outstanding since I know they’re very busy and I hope they do it more often.”
Another customer, Rashunta Cross, works in Madison and enjoyed spending a few minutes with the MPD.
“I think this is a great thing,” Cross said. “The officers are always available for us. This is a safe city, and they are always one call away and they make it a great place to live.”
Madison Police Chief Gene Waldrop said the officers coming out to interact with customers is very positive, not only for McDonald’s, but for the entire police department.
“The officers got a chance to stop, take a break, and interact with the public and employees,” Waldrop said.
“Normally we just stop by the drive-thru and get our orders, so this is a good time for us to talk with them. McDonald’s corporate contacted us about doing this, and we were very willing to be involved.”
Waldrop said the event helps McDonald’s and the community.
“With events like this you get a personal exchange with the officers besides just a traffic stop or an investigation,” he said. “People get a chance to sit and relax with them and see that they are human.”
Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler also stopped by the McDonald’s to chat with the officers and interact with customers.
“Things like this bring Madison law enforcement and the community together,” Hawkins-Butler said.
“We’re able to establish relationships with our officers and be on the same page. We want to keep this community safe, and this is a day for us to honor them for all their hard work and their passion and love for law enforcement. We’re very thankful to McDonald’s for their hospitality.”