It’s time once again for an annual event aimed at connecting police with their local communities.
National Night Out is a community-building campaign celebrated all over the country on the first Tuesday in August.
This year, Manitowoc Police Crime Prevention Sergeant Paul Krock tells us that their National Night Out festivities will be outside the Manitowoc Public Library tonight (August 4th) from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.
The police and fire departments will be present with squad cars, fire trucks, and ambulances so that families can get to know their local law enforcement and “interact with citizens under positive circumstances.”
He admitted, “Unfortunately, in law enforcement, we deal with people in a lot of negative situations. So this invites people out to come meet officers under positive circumstances.”
Sergeant Paul Krock says that this is a family-friendly event with a lot of excitement to keep the kids entertained while also teaching them about law enforcement in their community.
He noted that it is “Definitely geared towards kids and families, a lot of different things that we have available. We do child ID kits on site” with the child’s vital information inside.
In an emergency, these kits can be turned over to law enforcement to locate the child.
There will also be several different demonstrations.
The first will be a K-9 demonstration, where families will get to see a K-9 in action and what these dogs are used for.
The second will be a drone demonstration so the community can see this unique technology and how it is used in law enforcement.
There will also be some booths up that can teach families about crime prevention and family safety.
Sergeant Krock added, “We’ll have a lot of different information, different organizations that can kind of help maybe educate people, just kind of being proactive. Trying to get people to kind of be self-aware and, you know, prevent themselves from being victims of crimes.”
For the kids, there will be a scavenger hunt that will have the kids visit different organizations or booths to find their clues.
This allows them to learn about their local businesses, and the winners will earn some school supplies for this upcoming school year.
On top of this, 4H will be present, giving kids the chance to hang out with some furry friends.
“We want to get different organizations of the community involved. To kind of come together, show that camaraderie throughout the community,” Sergeant Krock explained. “What better way to have Manitowoc County 4H there, so kids can interact with these animals. You know, a little something for everyone.”
National Night Out in Manitowoc will include tons of local organizations and law enforcement for families to come learn about while also getting to experience spectacular demonstrations and meet some adorable animals.
Elsewhere around the area, the Two Rivers Police Department and Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office will be on hand at Walsh Field for the event from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Also, the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Office and Sheboygan Police Department will also be joining forces for National Night Out, which will take place at End Park between 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
