“I used to feel threatened by police officers, but now [after Breakfast with a Badge], I don’t,” said sophomore Evan Jackson, who participated in this morning’s meeting. “The officers were really nice, and they had great conversations with us.”

On Wednesday, December 18th, during Wilde Cat time, Officer Cole hosted conversations over brunch between students and police officers. His goal was to build relationships and break the stereotypes of police officers always being “the bad guy.”

Officer Cole selected 40 students to participate in the gathering, admitting as many students as possible to participate, while still keeping the discussion small and personal. He worked with a diverse group of students, saying that, “I hoped to have others look at police officers as humans, too.”

Breakfast with a Badge is currently being held once a semester, although if the meetings are successful, Officer Cole hopes to host them quarterly.