BUFFALO, N.Y. — A simple cup of coffee can be a bridge to common ground.

On Thursday, you can share a cup with police officers at the Tim Hortons on Michigan Avenue in Buffalo. Coffee and conversation are on the menu as the transit police from the NFTA host their first Coffee with a Cop event.

They will be at the Tim Hortons in the African American Heritage Corridor from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. to talk to residents and answer questions ahead of the shop's guest appreciation week.

The goal is to promote community policing, engage with residents and hear their concerns as they build relationships, one cup at a time.

NFTA police say they are the protectors of the pathway with officers at the airport and metro police but they want the public to know they are approachable and here to serve the community.

"I think it goes to the heart of policing, this notion of community policing, which is essentially 'do we know each other? And if not, why not?'" said Transit Police Chief Brian K. Patterson. "And so Coffee with a Cop is very simple. Most people when they get up in the morning, want to, you know, have a cup of coffee. And so we thought this would be a great way to get this started."

Anyone who comes to the event will receive a free cup of coffee to enjoy with the officers.