A Coffee with a Cop event in the Whanganui CBD soon led to officers lending a hand and putting their DIY skills to the test to help an elderly member of the community.

Whanganui Youth Services Senior Constable Paul Miller thought it would be a fantastic idea to hold a Coffee with a Cop event so the community could spend some face-to-face time getting to know their local officers and share any concerns or feedback.

One of the two events scheduled was held last Tuesday (15 April) at the Coffee Man in the Whanganui CBD.

Supported by his colleague, Senior Constable Peter Gray, Paul spent time talking with many of the community over a hot brew.

“We had plenty of interest from members of the public, especially in regard to Police recruitment and preventing scams, as well as plenty of praise for being out and about in uniform on foot patrol,” says Paul.

“Something else that arose from the coffee chats was that an elderly gentleman asked my colleague and I if we could pop over to his house and help fix a bathroom window that had fallen out due to rusty hinges.

“It was causing a cold breeze in his house and Peter and I were more than happy to oblige him.”

That same day, after the event, Paul and Peter went to the man’s house with tools and a ladder and reinstalled the window with new hinges.

“The window was three metres above the ground so the gentleman would have had a hard time trying to fix it,” says Paul.

“I’m just glad we could be of assistance and help this man stay warm in his home. He was absolutely over the moon, especially with strong winds forecast over the next couple of days.

“It just goes to show the value of holding Coffee with a Cop events.”

© Scoop Media