Hundreds of locals gathered at Owens Park to celebrate National Night Out on August 4.
National Night Out is an annual, nationwide initiative that began in 1984 as a way to connect police departments with their local communities. Over the last 42 years, it has become a beloved tradition for police officers and residents.
The Monroe Township Police Department (MTPD) hosted the event, making it a celebration of the officers and first responders in town, as well as a celebration of the residents, families, colleagues and town officials who make their roles have purpose.
Vendors, food trucks, sponsors, activities, games and emergency response vehicles filled up the park. The event was sponsored by the Monroe Township Municipal Alliance, and many other organizations and businesses contributed to the night. Sam’s Club donated hot dogs, snacks, cookies and water and Ash & Oak’s Traveling Tomato food truck donated pizza for all the guests to enjoy.
A lot of the fun was geared towards kids and families. Children ran up and down large inflatable bounce houses and race tracks at the baseball field, got their faces painted, played with animals in a petting zoo, and participated in demonstrations hosted by local first responders.
A house fire simulation presented by Cecil Fire Company at National Night Out. Guests used fire hoses to practice putting out the fires.
MTPD, Williamstown Fire Company, Cecil Fire Company, Gloucester County EMS, Monroe Township Office of Emergency Services and Gloucester County SWAT all had tables, vehicles, equipment and representatives from the departments present. Kids had the opportunity to tour the inside of the vehicles, learn about the kind of equipment the departments use and even participate in some simulations. Plus, there were plenty of goodies given out, like candy, tote bags and hats.
One popular attraction was from Cecil Fire Company, which had a special house fire simulation where guests could use real fire hoses and aim it at the house to put out the fire. To get the perfect aim, the wooden “flames” had holes in the center as a target for the players.
Creating fun ways for kids and teens to become involved with the first responders is an important way the departments bond with them, as well as make their duties more understandable to the community. It also helps to encourage trust in local law enforcement.
In addition to fun, there also were many local organizations with resources available at their table. Monroe Township Community Affairs, town representatives, local religious organizations, and township sport leagues were some of the groups with tables offering information and goodies for guests.
A highlight of the night was the live K-9 demonstration presentation on the football field. The K-9 unit has four dogs, and they always try to have at least one dog working at all times. The dogs are trained in patrol and narcotic scent, meaning they can help assist officers in instances where someone may be trying to run away from the police or use their sense of smell to seek out missing people, lost items, or narcotics.
One of MTPD’s K-9s sniffing out narcotics in a live demonstration at National Night Out.
The demonstration gave an overview of how the dogs are trained and what it can look like when they are working. Sergeant Anthony D’Amico led the demonstration, narrating how the dogs are trained, perform and interact with their officer (or “dad” as he often referred to them. He also mentioned that the dogs go home and live with their officers).
“Everywhere we go, they’re going,” D’Amico said. “The dogs are like kids. We have to constantly train and train and train them. This way, they know they’re still being efficient.”
Some of the drills displayed were having the dogs run through obstacles, find a missing item in the grass, locate narcotics in a box and in a truck, and chase after someone running away from the officers.
The demonstration had people of all ages engaged. Kids cheered on the dogs, parents gasped at their speed and intelligence, and practically everyone admired how cute they were, even while working. At the end of the demonstration, guests could meet the dogs.
“It’s nice to see that the community came out to support us, because in this world, sometimes, it doesn’t feel like you’re supported. So it’s good for us to interact with everybody, because not everybody necessarily gets to always interact with us on good terms,” said Sergeant Andy Sharp, who just celebrated 12 years at the department.
Sharp and other officers said one of the best parts about National Night Out is having the opportunity to show a different side of themselves to the people in town, as it connects them to the community as people, not just police. And, in turn, it helps the officers see another side of the community.
Monroe Township Police Department hosted its National Night Out celebration at Owen’s Park on August 4.
