Congressman Coming To St. Cloud’s COP House, Authors Bill To Take Program Nationwide

(KNSI) – A U.S. Congressman will be in St. Cloud this week to visit what’s being held up as a model of community policing for the nation.

Sixth District Congressman Tom Emmer will be at the St. Cloud Rotary Club Community Outpost, or COP House, on Wednesday to talk about the Community Outpost and Engagement Act. Emmer introduced the bill shortly after the death of George Floyd to turn the local community policing project into a federally supported and nationally adopted program.

Jennifer Lewerenz/KNSI News

The COP House is designed to foster community relationships between the police and the people in some of the most in need neighborhoods. The house serves as a gathering place for residents of St. Cloud to participate in community classes and public health services. Residents have the option of attending job training workshops or breastfeeding clinics. Events are held nearly every day with, at times, hundreds of community members in attendance.

The COP House was built in 2017. St. Cloud’s COP House began as a partnership between the St. Cloud Police Department, Mayo Ambulance, CentraCare Health, and Stearns County Social Services.

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