Connecting with the community. That simple idea was the focus of a special event Wednesday morning to bring local law enforcement officers together with the community they serve.

Officers of the Elizabethton Police Department participated in National Coffee With A Cop Day at the Coffee Company in downtown Elizabethton. Several officers with the department spent part of their morning at the popular eatery meeting with members of the community and talking over a cup of coffee.

While Coffee With A Cop programs have been held across the country over the past several years, Wednesday marked the first time the Elizabethton Police Department has participated in the national event. Elizabethton Police Chief Jason Shaw feels the event was a successful one for the department.

Over a period of three hours Wednesday morning, several different officers stopped by to meet with community members. Shaw also took part in the event, saying he was able to meet with some citizens and answer questions they had.

Shaw said the interactions he and his officers had with local residents were all very positive.

“Everyone liked the idea and were appreciative of it,” Shaw said. “The overall feeling I got from everybody is that it was a positive experience for the officers as well as the people who came out to speak with the officers.”

Shaw told the Elizabethton Star on Wednesday afternoon he had not had a chance yet to speak with all the officers who took part in the event to get their feedback, but overall he felt the event was successful. As a way to help foster good relationships between the department and the community, Shaw said he hopes to host more events like this in the future.