TYLER, Texas — The Tyler Police Department's Community Response Unit partnered with a local dessert shop on Friday for residents to become more familiar with the officers who serve and protect their city.
Four community response officers were at Cinnaholic, located at 8934 S. Broadway #420 in the Village at Cumberland Park, visiting with customers who came in for a cinnamon roll treat.
Community response officer James McCraw, who serves the Beat 8 area (east of South Broadway Ave. and south of Grande Blvd.), said the Tyler Police Department has hosted several events like this, such as coffee with a cop, in the past for residents to get to know their local law enforcement.
McCraw explained that community response officers work to build relationships within their assigned areas of the city. He's been a part of a community relations unit since 1998.
Through this, the residents can share any concerns they have with that particular officer, who help find solutions by contacting other groups like code enforcement and city agencies.
The primary duties of the Community Response Unit are community policing efforts, community education and crime prevention.
The unit provides consistent representation from the police across Tyler and help people see police in a positive light, McCraw said. He also works to gather a list of contacts through email and finds other way to reach out to community members.
"This gives us the ability to interact with the community, and they can feel like we're listening to them," McCraw said.
Community response officers can often be found at local events in an effort to be accessible to the public, he added.
Cinnaholic owner Jessica Gandy said the officers talking to customers helps people feel more comfortable in their community, especially with everything going in the world. She added she would definitely host another event in the future.
For more information about the Tyler Police Department Community Response Unit, visit its webpage here.