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Council members describe Coffee with a Cop dialogue on homelessness, student hygiene and mental health
Summary
Council members and police discussed homelessness, mental-health concerns and student hygiene at a recent Coffee with a Cop event; officials proposed topic-focused community forums and signaled interest in a town-hall approach.
Council members reported on a recent Coffee with a Cop event during the June 24 meeting, saying attendees raised homelessness, mental-health issues and concerns about student hygiene.
A council member who attended described a wide-ranging conversation: "We talked about mental health issues and defiance along with homelessness, and then also students in school. I think a lot of it was hygiene," the council member said, and reported that leaders at the session discussed the possibility of organizing joint community conversations involving city hall, schools and local resources.
Officials said the local shelter is typically at or near capacity and that school staff work to address hygiene issues when they arise. Council members discussed the possibility of expanding Coffee with a Cop into topic-focused forums or town halls; one attendee suggested changing the meeting time and narrowing topics to encourage deeper conversation.
Council member Missus Crutch praised the session and said Chief Frank Herbert — who had been on the job only a short time at the meeting — favors agenda-driven, topic-focused public forums. "Chief Herbert is a big fan of agendas, and he has mentioned that several times in regards to Coffee with a Cop or any sort of public forum he decides," she said.
No formal council action was taken on the topic during the meeting; council members said they would discuss possible next steps with police leadership.
