Police union hopes for dialogue with community
The Tempe Officers Association has said it welcomes a conversation between officers and the community after a Starbucks barista asked six officers to leave a store on the Fourth of July when a customer said their presence made them uncomfortable.
The police union’s president, Rob Ferraro, on Sunday released a written statement thanking the public for its support and said Starbucks’ apology left him feeling “encouraged.”
“We hope that out of this unfortunate incident there comes a welcome dialogue, one that more closely unites the men and women on the frontlines of police work with the communities we serve and protect,” Ferraro said.
A Starbucks executive, Rossann Williams, publicly apologized for the incident after meeting with Tempe Police Chief Sylvia Moir Saturday evening, saying the officers should have been treated with “dignity and the utmost respect.”
Starbucks hasn’t said whether the barista or any other employees were disciplined.
In an interview with Fox News’ Fox & Friends, Ferraro said it was imperative that police departments foster open dialogues with the communities they’ve sworn to serve and protect.
“So you always have to remember why you got into this profession — is because you wanted to help people,” Ferraro told the anchors. “And so it’s important for officers across the country to remember that and to build connections in the community. Because if we’re not connected to the community and the community doesn’t feel as though they have a voice, you get results like this.”
When asked how police could instill trust among civilians, Ferraro highlighted a program where newly hired officers assist people who need help in their community, such as an 85-year-old woman in hospice care with multiple code enforcement violations.
Ferraro said he and the new officers spent the day cleaning her yard and brought everything back up to code.
“There are leaders out there that might not have the best intentions,” Ferraro said. “But when you bring real community leaders together at the table and you have a dedicated command staff like we do at Tempe — and a dedicated union that wants to be a part of that solution — you can really move the needle.”