The Dallas Police Department would like to thank the North Texas McDonald’s for hosting Coffee with Cops. Our first Coffee with Cops was held on April 6, 2013 at a McDonald’s in the Southwest Patrol Division. With the success of this initial community engagement event,  Coffee with Cops events are now held simultaneously at McDonald’s locations across all seven patrol divisions. The success lies in its informal structure where officers are welcoming the citizens’ questions and comments. This program provides an opportunity for residents to get to know the officers working in their neighborhood. The primary goal of Coffee with Cops is to enhance the relationship between the Dallas Police Department and the residents of Dallas.

 The Dallas Police Department has been fortunate  to partner with McDonald’s as our community engagement effort continues with Coffee with Cops. The social media interactions have proven the popularity of Coffee with Cops.  The event has accumulated approximately 5.0 million impressions, or clicks, from Twitter mentions by officers posting pictures using #DallasCoffeeWithCops or #DPDCoffeeWithCops. Along with that, North Texas McDonalds using the Twitter handle @McD_NorthTexas has accumulated 3.5 million impressions from Twitter mentions, with a 1.2% increase in followers. Both of these trends on social media have returned a 99% favorable rating. The Dallas Police Department’s Twitter account, @DallasPD, shows approximately 52.7 million impressions from Twitter mentions, with a 2.4% increase in followers. The Community Affairs Division, @DPDCA, reports 1.1 million impressions and Chief David Brown, @DPDChief, shows 7.3 million impressions from Twitter. This successful partnership between the Dallas Police Department and the North Texas McDonald’s, through Coffee with Cops, has opened the doors for citizen-officer interactions, strengthened community relationships, and produced positive social interactions for all the organizations involved.  

 We are encouraging citizens to come out  to one of the Coffee with Cops events scheduled in 2015, grab a free cup of coffee,  speak with the officers who patrol their community, and continue to follow the event  on social media.