Myra Ornellas’ grandson Nolan wanted a doughnut Tuesday morning, so she stopped at Island Craves to satisfy his craving.
On opening the door to the Kapa‘a eatery that offers both sit-down and take-out service, Ornellas was met with a roomful of Kaua‘i police.
“My grandson just wanted a doughnut,” she said. “I didn’t even know about this. It’s nice that the officers take the time to get to know the community better.”
Kaua‘i Police Department Chief Todd Raybuck got his cue when he saw the keiki enter, taking his turn behind the counter with other Island Craves servers to make sure Nolan got the right doughnut.
The informal gathering of KPD leaders and officers filled the Kapa‘a eatery, punctuated with small groups of people talking about a wide range of topics ranging from how the kids are doing to the everyday traffic crawl.
Bob Kubota of Pono Market was a de facto facilitator, greeting residents of Wailua and breaking the ice so they could talk with officers about “problems in Wailua.”
Coffee With A Cop is an opportunity for residents, business leaders and the community to meet and greet the police officers who work to keep the community safe. The officers talk story with community members and visitors in a setting outside the normal work environment, for greater understanding of the community.
The Kapa‘a event that featured a steady stream of people taking the time to talk and get to know officers outside their work arena was also the first event since being shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic more than two years ago.
“It’s been a long time since we had a chance to host one of these events, and we are excited to bring this opportunity back to the community,” Raybuck said, taking time to introduce Capt. Mark Ozaki as one of the greatest Special Olympics “Cop on Top” participants to one of the Island Craves shoppers. “He was so good, he even slept in the tents set up on the roof” of the Lihu‘e Walmart store.
Raybuck said he encourages people to join the KPD to chat about individual concerns and other topics that are in their communities.
“We are here for you, and we want people to feel comfortable talking to us, which is why we host these in such a relaxing setting,” Raybuck said. “Now that we are able to hold events like this again, we expect more to take place around the island in the coming months.”
Raybuck thumbed his smart phone and announced the next Coffee With A Cop will take place on Tuesday, May 3, from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Kaua‘i Coffee Visitor Center near Kalaheo.
“This is where we had the original Coffee With A Cop more than two years ago,” Raybuck said. “We want the Westside people to come talk to us. It’s been too long.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
