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Niagara County Sheriff Jim Voutour talks residents this morning at Tim Hortons in Wheatfield. The Sheriff's department participated in the nation- wide program to foster better relations with the community. (PHOTOS BY HEATHER N. GRIMMER / CONTRIBUTOR)

The Niagara County Sheriff's Office has one of the most active social media campaigns of any sheriff's departments in the country. But status messages and tweets don't replace good old-fashioned face-to-face conversations.

Sheriff Jim Voutour and several deputies made time today for those face-to-face meetings at Tim Hortons on the corner of Walmore Road and Niagara Falls Boulevard in Wheatfield.

"It was nice, when I got here, there was nowhere to park," Voutour said. "I circled the store three times before I found a place to park. So it's been a really good turnout."

Voutour called the gathering a success and say more will be held. "We'd like to move it around to different parts of the county," he said. "We were going to do this one first and gauge the success of it. And if it's successful, which we think it is, we're going to move around from different parts of the county."

Voutour said the department aims to be as engaged with the public as it possibly can. "Obviously, it helps us solve crimes. ... But we also use it to keep the public aware. So we do engage several people on a regular basis. The ultimate job is to keep them safe."

Asked tongue-in-cheek if holding the community meeting at a donut shop was a joke, the sheriff responded in kind: "Where else would you find a cop other than a donut shop."

Members of the Niagara County Sheriff's Office talk with county residents this morning at Tim Hortons in Wheatfield. Sheriff Jim Voutour called the event a success and says more will be held.

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There's more photos here.