The community is invited to come out to sip coffee and chat with Ceres police officers informally and discuss topics of concern at two "Coffee With a Cop" events set for the first week of October.

Officers will be at Sam’s Cafe on Fifth Street from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2 to discuss community issues and build relationships in the informal, neutral setting. The event falls on the "National Coffee with a Cop Day."

A second coffee is set for 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 3 at Starbucks at 1427 Herndon Road.

The “Coffee with a Cop” program is designed to allow community members to ask questions, share concerns, learn more about Ceres Police Department's work in Ceres neighborhoods, and get to know officers.

Ceres Police Chief Rick Collins said he and his officers look forward to the visits with the public and the opportunity to reestablish connections in the community.

Coffee with a Cop is a national initiative supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Similar events are being held across the country, as police strive to make lasting connections with the communities they serve.