If you break the law, they’ll still come and get you.

But members of the Mocksville Police Department are connecting with the community in more positive ways these days.

On the first Wednesday of every month, officers will be at The Factory Coffeehouse on Main Street in downtown for Coffee with a Cop from 10-11:30 p.m. Residents are invited to drop by to talk over a cup of coffee. Sometimes, officers from other jurisdictions are there, too.

There’s Sarge Butters, a rescue cat that lives at the department and has become the face of the department’s Facebook page. Like Sarge Butters on Facebook, and keep up with the department.

And there’s the new citizens police academy, a program that gives town residents a more detailed look into the jobs officers do every day. The first class just graduated, and another is being planned for the spring. Contact the department to sign up or to get more details.

“The police department is doing a lot of things to connect with the community,” said Mayor Will Marklin.

Assistant Police Chief Pat Reagan told town board members last month it is an effort to become more transparent, to develop a rapport with members of the community.

Major Koula Black and Capt. Jeff Finney were instrumental in getting the academy started. “It’s really important to have interaction between citizens and the police department,” Reagan said.

Marklin is one of the first graduates of the academy. “Kudos for what you’ve done,” he said. “I was surprised at the things you do that I wasn’t aware of. It was very eye opening. The more citizens we have participate, the better off we’ll be.”