Teaching Opportunity: Coffee Shop Refuses To Serve Police Officers For The Physical And Emotional Safety of Employees And Customers
[guest post by Dana]
Last month, a recently opened coffee shop founded by three Latinos in Oakland refused to serve a uniformed police officer who had gone in to introduce himself and have a cup of coffee. He was told that Hasta Muerte does not serve police officers. Sgt. Robert Trevino, who works in the predominantly Latino neighborhood where the coffee shop is located, is also the chapter president of the county’s national Latino Peace Officers Association. Sgt. Bryan Hubbard, vice president of the Police Officers’ Association and who runs the department’s training academies, described Sgt. Trevino as an officer who puts a high priority on community policing and forming relationships with local merchants. Consistent with Sgt. Hubbard’s description, Sgt. Trevino said he would like to meet with Hasta Muerte employees and try to “build a better relationship”. However, it quickly became clear that they were not interested. This in spite of the coffee shop’s Kickstarter campaign claim of “opening a warm + inviting familia style coffe shop”.
Here is a statement released by Hasta Muerte after the incident – a statement accompanied by an exhortation to talk with your neighbors, not the police and a crossed-out police badge next to it:
Last Friday February 16th a police (OPD) entered our shop and was told by one of our worker-owners that “we have a policy of asking police to leave for the physical and emotional safety of our customers and ourselves.” Since then, cop supporters are trying to publicly shame us online with low reviews because this particular police visitor was Latino. He broadcasted to his network that he was “refused service” at a local business and now the rumblings are spreading.
We know in our experience working on campaigns against police brutality that we are not alone saying that police presence compromises our feeling of physical & emotional safety. There are those that do not share that sentiment – be it because they have a friend or relative who is a police, because they are white or have adopted the privileges whiteness affords, because they are home- or business- owning, or whatever the particular case may be. If they want to make claims about police being part of the community, or claims that race trumps the badge & gun when it comes to police, they must accept that the burden of proof for such a claim is on them. OPDs 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, 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. Especially in an area faced by drug sales and abuse, homelessness, and toxic masculinity as we see here on this block. We want to put this out to our communities now, in case we end up facing backlash because as we know OPD, unlike the community, has tons of resources, many of which are poured into maintaining smooth public relations to uphold power. It will be no surprise if some of those resources are steered toward discrediting us for not inviting them in as part of the community.
Last week, Oakland police officials said incident will be used as an opportunity to educate new recruits, and that in spite of the coffee shop’s position, officers would remain professional if called to serve and protect at Hasta Muerte:
“I think their position is very clear that they don’t want the police in there, and I can respect that,” said Sgt. Bryan Hubbard, vice president of the Police Officers’ Association who also runs the department’s training academies. “If they do call the police for any need, we’re going to respond professionally and give them the same level of service as anyone else regardless of their position.”
While the Oakland Police Dept. has certainly been exposed and duly criticized for corruption within its ranks, the city’s good cops face a staggering level of hatred directed toward them when moral disorder manifests itself. With this is mind, it’s too bad that the proprietors of Hasta Muerte would rather say no to a coffee summit than take a small, first step in becoming a truly inclusive community.
[Ed. – equating drug dealing and abuse with “toxic masculinity” is just embarrassing. Stop it.]
(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)
–Dana
Good morning.
Dana (023079) — 3/12/2018 @ 6:44 amHeh. The “community” taking the law into their own hands because white privilege.
Oh, this will end well…
J.P. (9e0433) — 3/12/2018 @ 6:59 amI see these folks are assimilating well. Bring in another ten million.
Rev.Hoagie (1b0402) — 3/12/2018 @ 7:12 amI see the snub more as a rattlesnake rattling its rattles. With all the implications. My advice to any cops in Oakland: Do not eat, drink or touch anything in that place!
nk (dbc370) — 3/12/2018 @ 7:12 amif hateful bigoted christian bakers can deny service to gay people then bigoted barristas can deny service to the corrupt racist cop-trash
happyfeet (28a91b) — 3/12/2018 @ 7:13 amNot to mention that Hasta Muerte means “until death” or “to the death”.
nk (dbc370) — 3/12/2018 @ 7:14 amAnd I’m pretty sure that both Oakland and the State of California have laws against discrimination based on lawful source of income.
nk (dbc370) — 3/12/2018 @ 7:18 amThis is the same Oakland where mayor sharf have the heads up to 800 illegals?
narciso (d1f714) — 3/12/2018 @ 7:22 amHaste Muerte is selling much more than coffee. Perhaps a visit from Oakland’s Mayor might help, she could offer to warn the coffee merchants when the cops were on the prowl, gearing up to grab a cup of joe.
ropelight (0613b7) — 3/12/2018 @ 7:23 amI think so, too, ropelight. I suspect the real reason is that they don’t want the cops spotting illegal activities and unsanitary practices.
nk (dbc370) — 3/12/2018 @ 7:33 amwhy the eff do we need a national Latino Peace Officers Association
this sounds gay and sleazy i wonder what they do together at the conventions
Latino Peace Officer naked twister
happyfeet (28a91b) — 3/12/2018 @ 7:40 amThe National Latino Police Officers Assn. is just another racist organization for minorities to bash whites while getting special privileges and cold cash. Another Black Lives Matter with a taco twist. If you’re white you should be used to this sh!t by now. It’s how the left separates America….they call it Diversity.
BTW, happyfeeet, “We” don’t need the assn., the poor underrepresented, abused and victimized Latino Officers do. Da big bad FOP is all full of white cops so they don’t properly “represent” anybody but whites. Wait till the Nat’l Assn. of Transgender Police gets going.
Rev.Hoagie (1b0402) — 3/12/2018 @ 7:56 amSo what is your opinion of the Hellenic-American Police Association, Hoagie? Greek cops trying to steer business to their relatives with restaurants and away from Dunkin Donuts?
nk (dbc370) — 3/12/2018 @ 8:12 amGood point, nk, such an ethno-centric organization within the police force might be viewed as a necessary redundancy for anyone/any group down-ladder of Oyrish.
urbanleftbehind (5eecdb) — 3/12/2018 @ 8:18 amI think the Hellenic-American Police Assn. is about as useful to America as you growing a third testicle.
Rev.Hoagie (1b0402) — 3/12/2018 @ 8:26 amI was assured there was no such thing as a “No Go” zone anywhere in the USA. Next, I’ll discover that Rick went to Casablanca for the waters.
I truly love that the whackos are so publicly self-identifying loudly and proudly. It’s easily the greatest virtue of DJT’s presidency.
Ed from SFV (3400a5) — 3/12/2018 @ 8:27 amI think all the ethnic police organizations foster goodwill in their respective communities, urbanleftbehind. “We’ve got our own people in there now.” More than affirmative action programs.
And I just remembered. I was friends with a senior Treasury agent — the guys who investigate criminal tax evasion — and coffee shops ranked high on his list of likely suspects for money laundering.
nk (dbc370) — 3/12/2018 @ 8:28 amLike the soup Nazis crab bisque, otherwise why would one bother?
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/12/homeless-encampment-discovered-on-top-california-amtrak-station.html
narciso (56b4d0) — 3/12/2018 @ 8:31 amEthic police organizations? Where are we, the Balkans? The police are supposed to protect and serve everybody not just their “respective communities” and for cops to identify as ethnicities rather than a uniform community protectors encourages corruption and preferential treatment. Hellenic cops have no business directing “business to their relatives with restaurants and away from Dunkin Donuts”. They work for all the community and to discriminate against Dunkin Donuts is immoral.
Nice place ya got here, Patel, wouldn’t want the Greek cops ta bust it up, would ya?
Rev.Hoagie (1b0402) — 3/12/2018 @ 8:41 amIf the Chef hat the owner was wearing was a correct identifier (and yikes if he’s old school FALN!), his branding and calls to stick it to the man are not much different than the appropriation of dia del muerte and campesino/UFW/huelga memes that whites are accused of. Well, dont forget coffee also has decent “masking” capabilities as does seafood and 5-gallon containers of detergent.
urbanleftbehind (5eecdb) — 3/12/2018 @ 8:42 amnk. I suspect coffee shops are a favorite target because their receipts don’t, quite, hit the mark requiring documentation when being banked. So..presto…structuring. And they can’t afford much in the way of legal representation.
Richard Aubrey (10ef71) — 3/12/2018 @ 9:05 amEasier than actually working.
Bad boys………… what cha want what cha want
Whatcha gonna do
When sheriff John Brown come for you
Tell me
Whatcha wanna do, what cha gonna do-oo
Yeaheah
Bad boys, bad boys
Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do
When they come for you
Bad boys, bad boys
Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do
When they come for you
Nobody naw give you no break
Police naw give you no break
Soldier naw give you no break
Not even you idren naw give you no break
Hehe
Bad boys, bad boys
papertiger (c8116c) — 3/12/2018 @ 9:06 amWhatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do
When they come for you
happyfeet (28a91b) — 3/12/2018 @ 7:13 am
So you will be in total agreement with a judge who fines and then orders than to serve LEOS, right?
felipe (023cc9) — 3/12/2018 @ 9:13 amsigh
“orders them” Stupid fingers.
felipe (023cc9) — 3/12/2018 @ 9:14 amAnyway, happyfeet, you would have had due credibility on this issue if only you would demonstrate consistency in other, similar issues. You would find me in agreement with you had you said “this, I think, is not the hill they want to die on.” I believe you said this about the bakers.
felipe (023cc9) — 3/12/2018 @ 9:23 amMind you hes the sensible candidate:)
https://pjmedia.com/blog/liveblogevent/fridays-hot-mic-49/entry-225764/
narciso (d1f714) — 3/12/2018 @ 11:19 amI think it only fair that police refuse to serve that coffee shop. California is nuts.
AZ Bob (9777e4) — 3/12/2018 @ 11:57 amThe OPD could always do this. Hopefully they wont do the clown mask schtick like the “softball playing” cops in season 1 of Dexter.
urbanleftbehind (5eecdb) — 3/12/2018 @ 12:06 pmuhh here…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyQHWSbBCcQ
urbanleftbehind (5eecdb) — 3/12/2018 @ 12:06 pmFilmed on location with the men and women of law enforcement.
They have 30 years of that show in the can.
It’s highly skewed toward the most violent car chasey visually flashy type of crime.
You ever see an episode where the cops get shot? Ever see an episode where there was any doubt who would come out on the short end? There’s no organized crime on that show. Overwhelming force is applied on every occasion. If you appear on that show, you get beat. Even the few who get caught and released, it’s obvious that the suspect has been so thoroughly beaten by life that another beating by the cops would just be redundant.
Where am I going with this?
Maybe in California, with seashore to border no parking zones, where you are obliged to be cuffed “for your own protection” even in your own house, suspects one and all, except for officers of the state, and maybe even them under rarified circumstances, maybe it cheers my libertarian side that there is at least one tiny hole in the wall still willing to flip out overlords the bird.
papertiger (c8116c) — 3/12/2018 @ 12:09 pmCalifornia is nuts.
It could be worse. In Chicago, we have cars shooting at us.
nk (dbc370) — 3/12/2018 @ 12:10 pmHow about some busking in Los Angeles. Nope. Can’t do that. Move along bums.
papertiger (c8116c) — 3/12/2018 @ 12:20 pmShameful.
Colonel Haiku (f0e797) — 3/12/2018 @ 3:53 pmYou know, I’m beginning to think that since we in California have had no recent success in reining in this disgraceful “progressive” dogschiff and absolutely no hope to have any in the future, perhaps we should just shut our yappers and find some solace in the success of others.
Colonel Haiku (f0e797) — 3/12/2018 @ 3:57 pmThe blaming of “white privilege” as the cause for everything really irritates me but what burns me beyond the white privilege issue is the stupid phrase “toxic masculinity”. I don’t want my men effeminate. I don’t want my men to scrape and bow to politically correct. I don’t want my military full of men confused as to whether they are supposed to be warriors or babysitters. I don’t want my men to turn tail. It is nothing more than discrimination and man-hating. The correct phrase to describe the group responsible for societal issues would be toxic liberalism.
And yes, I still appreciate having a door held open for me.
Marci (98fec4) — 3/12/2018 @ 4:03 pmWhat about a Pan Hellenic Police Association?
Pinandpuller (f93602) — 3/12/2018 @ 6:23 pmMr. felipe i’m never in favor of the government imposing top-down fascist solutions
i think if you wanna be a bigot on gays or cops that’s your right as an American
but say it loud and proud so the market can reward you accordingly
happyfeet (28a91b) — 3/12/2018 @ 6:27 pm#31, nk, that’s pretty good shooting for a Buick.
ropelight (551443) — 3/12/2018 @ 7:32 pmYou know, I’m beginning to think that since we in California have had no recent success in reining in this disgraceful “progressive” dogschiff and absolutely no hope to have any in the future, perhaps we should just shut our yappers and find some solace in the success of others.
Colonel Haiku (f0e797) — 3/12/2018 @ 3:57 pm
You know we in Florida have palm trees , sunshine, and a legislature completely dominated by the GOP. We may have hurricanes, but we don’t have mudslides or earthquakes and our brushfires are usually easily controlled.
I’m sure Narciso and ropelight would be happy to help you find new digs. I would be, but I live in the bluest part of the state.
Kishnevi (e95dc4) — 3/12/2018 @ 7:55 pmBtw, ropelight, how are you doing? You never said much about how Irma ended up hitting you.
Kishnevi (e95dc4) — 3/12/2018 @ 7:57 pmThanks, kishnevi. I have friends who are moving to Montana soon – but not gonna be dental floss tycoons, heh – but we’ll probably settle in St. George, Utah. Still within driving distance of SoCal and grandkids… and Bryce and Zion Canyons… and Lake Powell… and extended family upstate.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 3/12/2018 @ 8:06 pmCalifornia… with all it’s natural beauty… is hopeless and I don’t think things will get better.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 3/12/2018 @ 8:07 pm