The following article was written by Suzie Menk, the Youth Services Librarian at the Manitowoc Public Library.
On Tuesday, August 2, Manitowoc Public Library will be hosting Manitowoc Police Department’s National Night Out as a Family Activity Night. Our National Night Out is part of a national effort by police departments to create stronger ties between law enforcement, neighborhoods, and communities, leading to an increased overall interest in crime prevention.
This year’s National Night Out event will offer community members a wide variety of activities and information, the majority of which is focused on keeping our kids safe. MTPD will offer child ID Kits for families. Come on in and have your child fingerprinted and their physical characteristics recorded for these kits. According to the National Child Identification Program website, these ID Kits “allows parents to collect specific information by easily recording the physical characteristics and fingerprints of their children on identification cards that are then kept at home by the parent or guardian. If ever needed, this ID Kit will give authorities vital information to assist their efforts to locate a missing child.”
Susie Menk
And if you missed the Library’s “Touch the Trucks” event, National Night Out provides another chance for families to crawl around in a police vehicle. An ambulance, a fire truck, and a police vehicle will be in the Library Parking Lot and police staff will be on hand to show you around the different vehicles.
Weather permitting, there will also be a K-9 demonstration that night. Police dogs are used for a variety of purposes within law enforcement, including finding missing persons. Come see these amazing K-9 officers in action!
There are other agencies in the city of Manitowoc that are also focused on keeping kids and families with kids safe. These agencies—InCourage, for example—will be present at this National Night Out event to share information with parents and families, as well. Stop by their tables in the Library’s Second Floor Balkansky Community Room. Each agency will have a table situated in the Balkansky with literature about what they do and how they can help children or families in need.
As always, Manitowoc Public Library’s mission is to help members of our community gain access to information and foster an environment that meets the needs of our community. Partnering with Manitowoc Police Department to host a program like National Night Out is one way that the Library emphasizes its role as an informational and cultural center, and being a part of National Night Out most definitely fits within our mission. We love offering programs that help patrons connect with various groups or agencies. Giving patrons access to information is a key role of the library and National Night out really fits that bill. As always, knowledge is power.
So, we hope that you can join us at Manitowoc Public Library on Tuesday, August 2, starting at 6 PM for an evening of activities and learning with Manitowoc Police Department.
