Dey St. Pizza With a Cop Serves Up Community Connection Thurs. 8/14/25

The Harrison Police Department will host its popular Pizza With a Cop event on Thursday, August 14, 2025, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the corner of Bergen Street and Dey Street. Organized by the department’s Community Policing Unit under the leadership of Chief Stanley Titterington and Police Director Nicholas Breiner, the evening promises complimentary pizza and beverages in a friendly, open-air gathering.

Chief Titterington, building on the foundation laid by retired Chief David Strumolo, continues to reinforce community engagement through these informal events. This is the 4^th Pizza With A Cop for this year. The initiative fosters a relaxed atmosphere where residents can chat with local officers—breaking down barriers in order to build trust, communication, and collaboration.

This year’s gathering follows a series of three Pizza With a Cop events held earlier in July:

• July 17 at the Firehouse Playground (corner of 7th Street and Wilhelm Street),
• July 24 at Kingsland Courts, located at 740 William Street,
• July 28, in front of 300 Somerset Street between South Frank E. Rodgers Boulevard and South 3rd Street.

These events underscore the department's commitment to making policing approachable across various neighborhood corners.

What Is Community Policing—and Why It Matters

At the heart of Pizza With a Cop is the philosophy of Community Policing, defined by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) as a collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies and communities to proactively identify and address local issues—emphasizing partnership, problem-solving, and mutual trust

Key elements include:

• Forming partnerships with residents and local organizations,
• Actively solving underlying community problems rather than reacting after incidents occur,
• Adapting law enforcement structures to increase transparency and responsiveness.

Benefits observed in urban communities include:

•  Stronger trust and improved public perception of law enforcement, which encourages cooperation—and ultimately enhances public safety
•  Greater cultural understanding among officers, allowing policing efforts to be more sensitive and appropriate in diverse neighborhoods
•  Innovative, tailored approaches—ranging from youth outreach to mental health responses—that address root causes of crime rather than symptoms
•  Economic and social benefits such as neighborhood stability, increased business investment, enhanced property values, and better mental health interventions

Moreover, research continues to show that community policing—especially through positive, non-enforcement interactions—can measurably improve trust and cooperation. A controlled study in New Haven, CT, found that a single friendly interaction between an officer and a resident significantly increased willingness to cooperate and regard the police as authorities

A Legacy of Engagement in Harrison

The Harrison Police Department’s dedication to community policing goes back decades to the efforts of retired Deputy Chief Patrick Minutillo in the 1990s and 2000s. His work included Naturalization Drives—events that provided fingerprinting and application assistance to residents pursuing U.S. citizenship. Organized with support from the Harrison Fest Committee and the Centro Romeu Cascaes Portuguese American Community Center, these community-focused events helped strengthen ties between the department and immigrant communities.

Pizza With a Cop continues this tradition under Chief Titterington’s stewardship—bringing officers and residents together not in crisis, but in camaraderie. These events, together with longstanding initiatives, illustrate the department’s ethos of proactive, community-centered service. The Harrison Police National Night Out has also been a great community policing event, which includes not just residents but merchants and the Harrison Fire Department, and local non-profits.

Join the Conversation—and the Pizza!

Harrison residents are warmly invited to attend Thursday’s Pizza With a Cop at Bergen Street and Dey Street from 6 to 8 p.m. This is a unique opportunity to engage with the officers who serve their neighborhoods—ask questions, voice concerns, or simply enjoy a slice and a friendly conversation.

Your Harrison extends its heartfelt appreciation to the entire Community Policing Unit for their unwavering commitment to building trust, fostering cooperation, and strengthening the shared fabric of Harrison.

📣 Tell us what you think on our Community Discussion Board. Not a member yet? Sign up today and be part of the conversation.

At a Glance