By Gary Beeg Jr

The Toms River Police Department held their monthly “Coffee with a Cop” on Wednesday, March 6 at the QuickChek located at the intersection of Route 37 and Fischer Boulevard.

            The event was held between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.

            The goal is to tighten the relationship between communities and their police department. Citizens are encouraged to come by to ask questions, raise their concerns and get to know members of their local police force.

            The Coffee with a Cop is a national event and is held once a month on the first Wednesday. The Toms River Police Department has been holding their own since October 2018. They tried venues like restaurants but ultimately decided that convenience stores were best.

            “We have always had a very good relationship with the community,” Sergeant Eugene Bachonski of the Toms River Police Department said. “We train our officers well and our hiring process is strict. The Community Affairs Department gives a lot of information to the public through our social media outlets.”

Bachonski also runs the Neighborhood Watch Program. The meetings are once a month at the police station located on Oak Avenue.

“The goal is to have a structured Neighborhood Watch in communities and educate the public on specific crimes,”


Sgt. Bachonski said.

Chief of Police Mitch Little also attended the event.

“I am so blessed to work with the most amazing police department,” Jillian Messina, Public Relations Specialist for the Toms River Police Department, said. “They genuinely care about their community.”