The Student Conduct Office and Marshall University’s Police Department are inviting students to join them from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 28 on the Memorial Student Center Plaza for “Let’s Taco Bout It With MUPD.”

“We invite all students to come out and meet the officers and ask us questions,” MUPD Chief Jim Terry said. “It’ll just be us; officers from the current shift will be there. Come out and get a taco.”

Terry said this is a good opportunity to come out and have a relaxed moment with the officers.

“It’s a time to interact with the officers in a casual environment where they can ask questions and get answers from the staff,” Terry said.

Terry explained that two-way communication is important for relationships between MUPD officers and the students.

“Anytime there’s communication that goes both ways, it’s good so we can get a better understanding,” Terry said. “Depending on the question you ask, you can get a better understanding of what the officer is there for. Our mission is to keep them safe and they’ll get to know the officers. Anytime you have an opportunity to interact with the students is a good time.”

There will be no specific topic for the conversations, and Terry said students are encouraged to have their own discussions.

“It’s whatever the students want to talk about; there’s no agenda. There’s no speaker or anything. We’re going to be there to mingle and make tacos in a bag,” Terry said. “We did the same thing last year with pizza in the residence halls. We just sat there, and they got pizza, and we chat with them.”

Tiffani Webb, a graduate assistant who has helped plan the event, explained the setting and purpose of the event.

“This is an event on the plaza, so it’s a very casual event compared to other events,” Webb said. “Students are able to make a taco in a bag and mingle with MUPD on campus on their way to or from class. We encourage students to get lunch and talk to the officers to understand that they are friendly and not always intimidating.”

If students want more information about the event, they can contact Webb at [email protected] or Holli Wolfe at [email protected].

Robert Castillo can be contacted at [email protected].