The Nassau County Police Department partnered with a small business in Wantagh on Oct. 7 to celebrate National Coffee with a Cop Day, an annual tradition that allows officers to interact with their communities.
The local event was held at Simply Spinelli Cafe, at 739 Wantagh Ave., where Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder and community affairs officers from the Eight Precinct met with residents to enjoy a cup of coffee and some conversation. The event lasted from 1 to 3 p.m.
“This is the perfect opportunity for us to connect with our communities, meet with them face-to-face while, at the same time, supporting a local small business like Simply Spinelli Cafe,” Ryder said.
The event connected the police department to the coffee shop and bakery founded and owned by Alexa Spinelli, who began her business in 2019.
“I love being a part of this community and being a place for our community, so having the Nassau County Police Department come in and be able to also interact with the community, that serves our purpose,” Spinelli said of hosting the event.
The business was started out of her parents’ kitchen, and now Spinelli operates the storefront in Wantagh, continuing to bring healthier options to her customers.
“I started it because I really like sweets, but a lot of sweets weren’t great for you,” Spinelli said. “My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was younger and passed away from it in 2021, so it's really important that I find quality ingredients to give to people, so they can enjoy food without sacrificing their health.”
National Coffee with a Cop Day began in 2011, when officers from the Hawthorne Police Department in California were looking for ways to connect with their community. They discovered that the best solution was to partner with local coffee shops, starting a trend that would spread nationwide, with police departments in all 50 states now participating.
This year’s event was the Nassau County Police Department’s 11th annual celebration of the day, continuing a tradition to help break down the barriers between the police officers and the communities they serve. Previously, the police department has partnered with other shops, including Perk & Press in Massapequa and RS Beanery in Merrick.
“Not so long ago, we were in a place where there was a lot of anti-police sentiment that was going on in the world,” Ryder said. “Now, we're not there anymore. We're in a better place, and it's because of the outreach in our communities. Small businesses like these are doing the right thing, showing the support for us. We're showing the support for them — and that’s how we build relationships in our communities.”
The words of outreach connected with the likes of students from nearby MacArthur High School, which lies directly across the street from Simply Spinelli Cafe.
“One of the officers told me about this, so I thought to come by after school,” high school senior Alexandra Mallia said. “The officers were so welcoming when I walked in, asking how I’m doing, and they’ve been really nice.”
For the Nassau County Police Department, the event brought about shared themes of love, support and trust between the community and the officers that police their streets.
“You take all the bad things in this world, and then you come to a little store like this on Wantagh Avenue, and you can feel the good,” Ryder said. “Between the coffee, a healthy dietary way to eat, and great business owners giving back to the community, it's all good. There's nothing but good.”
The same can be said for Spinelli, who believes that events like these can foster a perfect environment for interaction.
“I think, at the end of the day, we really need to focus on love rather than hate,” Spinelli said. “Here, that's what we're trying to do.”
