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A new outreach program has been launched by Montreal police to help fight crime and to forge stronger ties with people in the community.

And it all starts with a cup of hot coffee.

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The program called Coffee with a Cop got underway this month at Station 1 on St-Charles Blvd. in Kirkland.

Station 1 is the first SPVM station in the West Island to launch the initiative, which has taken off since it first got its start in the United States about four years ago. It was adopted last fall by the SPVM.

Starting this month, anyone can call Station 1 to make a date with one of three community relations officers, Giovanni Di Legge, Mélanie Allard or Jean-Pierre Lévis.

“People always tell us they want us to be more accessible,” said Di Legge, during an interview at Station 1 last week.

“It’s a way of getting closer to the community.”

He said the hope is that officers will be invited to sit down with people of all ages and who are already meeting in the community — at local hockey rinks, curling clubs, tennis facilities, restaurants and doughnut shops among other venues.