Nothing beats face-to-face interaction with residents, said Lindsey Tusing, Mercer Island Police Department (MIPD) public information officer/police records specialist.

Chief Ed Holmes said that an in-person event like Coffee With A Cop gives him and officers a chance to not only engage in discussions regarding policing, traffic concerns, crime and more, but to get to know the Islanders whom they serve.

Tusing added that spontaneous and personal conversations with locals at the most recent two-hour gathering on April 10 at the north-end Starbucks are invaluable and lend trust and credibility to the department.

Holmes said that the MIPD has garnered immense community support and he feels that has partially transpired because of the relationships it has formed with Islanders.

“I understand that community support can be a fragile thing, so I never take that for granted. We have support because of how we invest in the community — invest in keeping it safe, and also how we treat people,” Holmes said. “So understanding the environment we’re in, I will say that I am proud of our team. And I know where their hearts are, I know where their interest is. They’re very motivated to do proactive policing in a way that also respects people’s rights.”

Recently on social media, the topic of why MIPD officers don’t wear body cameras has emerged.

Holmes noted that the MIPD and city council are supportive of body cameras and the department asked in 2022 for cams to be included in the current 2023-24 biennial budget.

“The issue really is pretty simple. A lot of other (city) departments also had budget requests, and so all the budget requests got postponed to include body cams,” said Holmes, adding that the postponement rolls into the second quarter of 2023 when they can examine where finances for 2022 stood.

“There’s no issue with people don’t want them, we want them. More and more departments are getting them, so I don’t want to be the last department to get them,” he added about finding the right window in the budget to include cams. Along with purchasing the cams comes digital storage, potential additional staffing for an anticipated influx of public records requests and more, Holmes said.

The topic of vehicle prowls on the Island also arose at the event during one conversation between a resident and an officer. Tusing said that one way residents can avoid becoming an easy target is by not leaving their belongings — including keys — inside their vehicle.

Recently, the MIPD posted on social media that neighboring police departments reported that its residents were receiving scam calls involving someone impersonating an officer and demanding payment for outstanding speeding or parking tickets.

Tusing said the calls haven’t reached the Island in a while and can be a bit frightening for residents on the receiving end.

“They’re using the names of real officers who work here, so it seems legitimate to the person on the phone. So we really want to encourage people to remember that this department is never going to call you and ask for money in any capacity. Hang up, call the police department, verify any information that comes your way and claims to be (from an officer),” Tusing said.

MIPD hopes to schedule another Coffee With A Cop event this summer.

A group of Mercer Island community members dropped off a thank-you Easter meal for the Mercer Island Police Department. From left to right: Officers August Owen, Jacqueline Dawson and Art Munoz. Courtesy photo