Stony Brook University police officers hosted their second annual Coffee with a Cop event in the Student Activities Center Plaza and at East Side Dining on Wednesday, October 4, after hosting five events last fall.

The event is part of a wider national initiative started in Hawthorne, California, as a way for officers to interact and build stronger relationships with members of the community.

University police officer chats with community member

Students appreciated the chance to get to know the officers over a variety of pastries and coffee from Seattle’s Best.

“It’s a good way to get out in the community and talk to the people that are protecting you, especially with what’s going on in the world with the Las Vegas shooting. It’s good to have a connection with the cops and know that we’re protected,” said Jack Stanton ‘20.

Coffee with a Cop events have been hosted in all 50 states, making it one of the most successful community-focused police programs in the country.

Find out more about University Police and ways to get involved here.

Read more: http://www.stonybrook.edu/happenings/oncampus/stony-brook-police-building-community-connections-one-cup-at-a-time/

The Red Watch Band CARE Team visited Comsewogue High School on January 30 and 31, 2016  to conduct student trainings.

Red Watch Band is a bystander intervention program designed to inform college and high school students of the numerous ways that toxic drinking deaths can be prevented and to promote an atmosphere of respect, responsibility and kindness.

Comsewogue High School students receive Red Watch Band Training

A total of 250 juniors and seniors attended the six training sessions offered over the two-day period. During the trainings, the high school students were very interested in the information and engaged with the CARE Team members.

Last fall semester, Red Watch Band CARE Team members were determined to train at least 1,000 students. They exceeded this goal with a total of 1,284 students trained by the end of the semester.

This was the highest number of students ever trained in one semester, making it a very important milestone for the program.

The Red Watch Band CARE Team will be conducting trainings in other high schools throughout the year. They are scheduled to train at two Long Island schools, Herricks High School on March 3 and at Syosset High School on March 28.

Read more: http://www.stonybrook.edu/happenings/student-spotlight/red-watch-band-gives-back-to-the-community/

Nearly 80 Stony Brook students, faculty and staff participated in an innovative initiative called “Disaster Relief Map-A-Thon: Puerto Rico.”

Stony Brook is the first SUNY school to stage this type of technology-based response to a crisis, according to Chris Sellers, director, Center for the Study of Inequality and Social Justice and Policy.

The Map–A-Thon took place at the Stony Brook University Libraries North Reading Room and was organized by the Center for the Study of Inequalities, Social Justice and Policy, the Geospatial Center at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and Stony Brook University Libraries.

Using their personal laptop computers, during a three-hour period Stony Brook students, professors and employees navigated satellite maps in search of buildings not yet documented in relief efforts.

Next, they zoomed in on street maps, traced outlines of structures and then uploaded and saved them to a master file used by the Red Cross as an aid to providing relief services to hurricane victims.

Read more: http://www.stonybrook.edu/happenings/featuredpost/stony-brook-community-pioneers-technology-based-response-to-puerto-rico-crisis/