By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

Alabaster residents will have a chance to discuss community issues and chat with the city’s police officers in an informal setting during the Coffee with a Cop event on Feb. 13.

The event will begin at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 13 at the Chick-Fil-A restaurant at 125 Colonial Promenade Parkway.

According to the Alabaster Police Department, the event will give residents a chance to interact with officers outside an emergency situation.

“The majority of contacts law enforcement has with the public happen during emergencies, or emotional situations,” read a police department press release. “Those situations are not always the most effective times for relationship building with the community, and some community members may feel that officers are unapproachable on the street. Coffee with a Cop breaks down barriers and allows for a relaxed, one-on-one interaction.”

Alabaster Police Chief Curtis Rigney said the event will help to strengthen the department’s ties to the community.

““We hope that citizens of Alabaster will feel comfortable to ask questions, bring concerns, or simply get to know our officers,” said Chief Curtis Rigney. “These interactions are the foundation of community partnerships.”

Coffee with a Cop is a national program supported by The United States Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Similar events are being held across Shelby County, as local police departments strive to make lasting connections with the communities they serve.

For more information about the event, call the Alabaster Police Department at 663-7401.