With a sweets case full of custom date-based confections and a wall covered in silk flowers, Cafe Sheera is decidedly not a donut shop. Still, about eight officers with the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD), including Chief of Police Mark Stainbrook, showed up to enjoy a cup of joe during the cafe’s Coffee with Cop Event, Jan 12.
The event aimed to create a forum for community members and police to interact in an informal setting. Customers had a chance to have one-on-one conversations with Stainbrook and other officers during the event.
“With COVID it’s terrible because a lot of times when I would normally meet people personally, I have to do it virtually,” Stainbrook told the Courier. “I just talked to a woman about a crime that happened to her recently, which is sad, but I want to know that. I want to know what’s going on in the community.”
Cafe? Sheera was also offering half-off the price of coffee to all customers while the event took place.
“It’s such an honor to host Chief Stainbrook and the City of Beverly Hills Police Department for the first Coffee with a Cop event of 2022 at Cafe? Sheera,” the cafe’s owner Suzy Hovanesyan told the Courier. “We’re excited to provide an open forum for the community to engage in conversations with our new police chief and officers, to answer any questions they may have about law enforcement, policies, or simply giving thanks.”
“The bottom line is we are always seeking to build bridges with law enforcement and the community,” BHPD Public Information Officer Lt. Giovanni Trejo told the Courier. “And I can’t think of a better way to build bridges with the community than over a cup of coffee.”
