Local police departments gathered with hundreds of community members on Tuesday night as part of the National Night Out initiative celebrating police-community partnership.
“Policing is a partnership between the community and the police department,” Lansdale Borough Police Chief Mike Trail said. “It’s [an officer’s] job to dedicate their full-time attention to public safety and crime, but it's the community that helps us solve those issues.”
Events were held at Lansdale Borough Hall, William F. Maule Park at Windlestrae Park in Montgomery Township, and Parkside Place in Upper Gwynedd. The events had a mixture of food and refreshments, games, music, giveaways, police vehicles, firetrucks, emergency vehicles displays and tours, and canine unit meet and greets.
At Windlestrae, community members met Disney Princesses, got their faces painted, and toured a medevac helicopter that landed in the park. The Montgomery Township Police Department also collected supplies for the North Penn School District Build-A-Bag Program.
“We basically celebrate the camaraderie that we try to bring together with our neighborhoods, our businesses, and our local and county services,” Montgomery Township Police Department Officer Robert Johnson said.
At the event in Lansdale, there was a bounce house, opportunities to dunk police officers and local elected officials in the dunk tank, and chances to spray water from one of Fairmount Fire Company’s fire hose. Proceeds from the dunk tank went toward Manna on Main Street.
"I am incredibly proud of our Lansdale Police Department and the annual National Night Out program that they put together,” Lansdale Mayor Garry Herbert said. "National Night Out is about building our community up and breaking down barriers between the police and the public. When people, and particularly children, get the chance to have positive experiences with police, it can change their perceptions for a lifetime."
In Upper Gwynedd, guests were also treated to displays of emergency vehicles, a medevac helicopter, vendors and more.
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