A coffee shop in Oakland, Calif., has adopted a policy of not serving police officers in uniform. In fact, they make it clear in their social media posts that they want nothing to do with the police department.
The shop’s name — Hasta Muerte Coffee — means “until death” in Spanish. Kind of ironic, yes? They say that they “need the support of the actual community to keep this place safe, not police.”
Good luck with that, guys.
It all started a couple of weeks ago when an Oakland police sergeant wanted to introduce himself to the owners and get a cup of coffee. However, he was denied service, KTVU reported.
In a letter to the Oakland police union after the incident, the coffee shop said “it does not serve the police.”
“We have a policy of asking police to leave for the physical and emotional safety of our customers and ourselves,” the post read.
The shop is located near a Spanish enclave in Oakland, so you can guess why even in a sanctuary city some residents might get “emotional” about seeing a badge.
The lengthy post continued: “OPD’s [Oakland Police Department’s] recent attempts to enlist officers of color and its short term touting of fewer officer involved shootings does not reverse or mend its history of corruption, mismanagement, and scandal, nor a legacy of blatant repression. The facts are that poc [people of color], women, and queer police are complicit in upholding the same law and order that routinely criminalizes and terrorizes black and brown and poor folks, especially youth, trans, and houseless folks. For these reasons and so many more, we need the support of the actual community to keep this place safe, not police.”
The post was panned online, with some social media users pointing out that the coffee shop refused to serve a sergeant who is also the president of the Latino Police Officers Association of Alameda County.
The sergeant in question told NBC Bay Area he was hoping to “build a better relationship” with the shop and hopes to speak with the employees.
Roberto Lopez, a resident, said he did not understand the policy.
“I don’t know what they got against them,” Lopez said.
Most normal people agree. In fact, they might as well post a sign in the window: “Free D0nut to All Armed Robbers.”
It’s an interesting experiment. Kicking police out of a high-crime community to make everyone safe? They should really try that. Somehow, if they do become a crime victim, any nearby patrol cars will probably find something more important to do — like getting a cat out of a tree.
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