Chuck Seaver, South Lake Tablet
The Clermont Police Department held its bi-monthly Coffee with a Cop community relations event on Wednesday, April 16th at Flag Coffee Corner, 896 West Minneola Avenue, Clermont. Coffee with a Cop is a program designed to enhance the relationship between community members relationship with law enforcement officers and the citizens of the communities that they serve. Businesses throughout the area often host the Coffee with a Cop program to exhibit not only support of the community but also support of the local first responders in the community. It also provides a neutral location for real conversations about issues that matter.
Members of the police department included officers and staff from the community relations division, criminal investigations, patrol, and administrative personnel. Clermont’s Interim Police Chief, John Graczyk, was present and ready to answer a wide range of questions from the public. Interim Chief Graczyk is no stranger to the citizens of Clermont, but this was his inaugural Coffee with a Cop visit as the acting, and potentially permanent police chief for the City of Clermont.
Upcoming events with the police department include a “Behind the Badge” event on April 28th, from 3-6 pm at the Clermont Arts and Recreation Center, 3700 South US-27, Clermont. The event is open to the first 50 students between the ages of 14-18. The event intends to let students have an open dialogue with police officers in a friendly and neutral environment. Light refreshments will be offered along with the possibility of some casual sports activities. Visit the department’s Facebook page at Clermont Police Department (FL) for registration details.
The department will also host the 4th Annual Conrad Buckley Memorial Golf Tournament on May 2nd at Legends Golf Course, 1700 Legendary Boulevard, Clermont. Registration begins at 7 am. Contact Corporal Drew Evans at 352-536-8454 or email Devans@ClermontFl.org for more information. Funds raised will be utilized as a scholarship for an applicant selected by the Clermont Police Department to attend the police academy. Clermont Police Officer Conrad Buckley lost his life from complications of the COVID-19 virus in April 2020.
The police department will also participate in the 37th Annual Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, May 13th. The vigil is a part of National Police Week that occurs every May to honor the fallen officers nationwide who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for protecting their communities. Lake County Deputy Sheriff Bradley Link’s name will be added to the Fallen Officers Memorial Wall this year. Deputy Link was shot and killed in the line of duty on August 2, 2024. President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day in 1962.
Visit www.ClermontFL.gov/262/Police-Department for further departmental information and a full listing of the department’s services.
