Ever wondered what it's like to be a police officer? Do you want to know more about how your police department is serving your community?

The national "Coffee with a Cop" event gives folks the opportunity to meet, mingle with, and ask questions of police department officers and staff. The program is expanding and now includes events in Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

This year's "Coffee with a Cop" will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 2 and the local police departments from Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, El Segundo, Torrance, Redondo Beach, and Hawthorne are participating.

The event got its start in nearby Hawthorne when the Hawthorne Police Department hosted the first "Coffee with a Cop" event in March of 2011 in an effort to better understand the needs and concerns of community residents. Officers with Hawthorne Police were looking for ways to interact more successfully with the citizens they served each day.  

Here's a breakdown of where South Bay police departments are holding their events:

• Manhattan Beach: 8:30-10:30 a.m., North End Caffe, 3421 North Highland Avenue;
• Hawthorne: 8-10 a.m., McDonald's, 5310 West Rosecrans Avenue;
• El Segundo: 8-10 a.m., Smoky Hollow Roasters, 118 Sierra Street, Unit C;
• Hermosa Beach: 8-10 a.m., Pier Plaza, 1 Pier Avenue;
• Torrance: 12-2 p.m. Starbucks, 18308 Hawthorne Boulevard,
• Redondo Beach: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Starbucks, 1749 South Elena Avenue.

Coffee with a Cop, Inc. is a California Nonprofit Corporation with IRS 501(c)3 status. Your donation is tax deductible.

Here's a video about "Coffee with a Cop" (scroll down the page to see it).