Most people probably want to avoid encounters with the police, but at the Oct. 7 Coffee with a Cop confab at Mount Vernon’s new Cuppi Coffee, it was mostly friendly close encounters and amicable chitchat.
There were no sirens, speeches or presentations. “We’re here just hanging out, connecting with people,” said Brandie Allen, the Mount Vernon Station’s Community Outreach Officer for the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD). And connect and chat they did for two hours, as all sampled many enticing coffee choices.
“It’s nice to get out, to relate to people on a personal level,” said Captain Jonathan Steier, a 13-year FCPD veteran who spent much of his career in investigative work and came aboard the Mount Vernon station in July.
Steier said that violent crime is declining in the Mount Vernon police district, but there’s an “uptick” in larceny from unlocked vehicles in both parking lots and home driveways.
He explained that FCPD has many specialty-trained officers who work, for example, on threats and intelligence assessment, child exploitation and crisis negotiation, such as someone barricaded in a home. The protective intelligence officers handle threats and hate language popping up on social media.
One father brought his teenage son to the event to have “mock” encounters with an officer, to learn what to expect, for example, if the young man were stopped while driving. Allen advised that if an officer pulls you over for a suspected traffic violation, drivers should stay seated in the car and keep both hands visible on the steering wheel.
A table of five locals walked through their plans for a Spanish Heritage Festival which some officers will
attend.
More Communication Requested
Michael Parker who lives in Woodstone went to Coffee with a Cop to discuss the police department’s transparency. He said that police scanner communications are now encrypted, that people can no longer listen to those communications. He argued that residents can assist the police and minimize problematic onlookers at crime scenes if they understand the police’s presence. He offered as an example, officers buzzing overhead in a helicopter. If they are looking for a missing person, residents could help, he said, if they knew what was going on.
He also urged FCPD to restore its daily recap, an emailed notice of major events in each district. These encourage “situational awareness,” he said.
Parker shared an email he sent to FCPD Chief Kevin Davis on Sept. 28, 2026, making these two points. He wrote, “The recent decision to encrypt police communications has exacerbated this problem, blinding residents to crime in the county.” Referencing the daily recaps, he said, “This information helped community members have the ability to be aware of crime, avoid crime and help FCPD solve crime.”
In response to our inquiry to FCPD, a county police spokesperson emailed on Oct. 8, “We understand his concern and have responded to Mr. Parker directly.
“Our radio communications transitioned to an encrypted system on July 13, 2026. The Fairfax County Police Department provided an overview of its radio encryption initiative during the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Safety and Security Committee meeting on March 10, 2026. … Separately, the daily crime recaps mentioned have not been published since 2020. Our commitment to keeping the public informed has not changed.
“We actively share timely updates on significant incidents on our X page and detailed case summaries on FCPD News. Crime statistics are on our Open Data Portal, with more information on our Transparency page. Community Outreach Officers also post weekly crime recaps for each station on Nextdoor.
“Mr. Parker’s request for daily recaps has been shared with department leadership. We are actively exploring additional ways to provide residents with more timely, real-time information and will share updates as these efforts progress.”
Asked at the event why the police want to sip coffee and mingle with people, Captain Steier replied, “We want to get to know people before they need us.”
Allen echoed, “We’re here to help.”
A New Hangout
Cuppi Coffee opened at 7707 Fordson Road (opposite Hybla Valley Shopping Center) in May. Owner Joshua Park said it is a local franchise and that “cuppi” is a Korean term for coffee.
Park and two employees served coffees from Guatemala, Columbia, Brazil, Ethiopia and Peru, as well as frappes and lattes. The latte options included butterbeer with caramel and butterscotch; pumpkin and vanilla.
The menu’s appetizing teasers included pastries, eggs Benedict with avocado, egg salad sandwiches and a sandwich called “avocuddle.” Cuppi Coffee’s mascot is a koala.