National Night Out builds bridges between community, first responders

BEXLEY, Ohio (WCMH) -- Communities across central Ohio hosted block parties and cookouts Tuesday for the 42nd annual National Night Out. Held on the first Tuesday of August, it's a community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships to help make neighborhoods safer.

"We're here to help," Bexley Police Chief Gary Lewis said. "We're here to provide a service. I think it's so important that we continue to not just be transparent, but we meet people where they are."

According to leaders, the event served as a chance to build trust with local police officers.

"I'm a pediatrician and I think kiddos can be scared of law enforcement just because of their uniforms, and sometimes their equipment and their loud trucks and all of that, and so in an emergency, we really need our kiddos to trust law enforcement," resident Jennifer Mrozek said.

At Commonwealth Park in Bexley, there was food, games, a dunk tank, and residents had the chance to spend time getting to know the police officers who serve their community. 

"Sometimes I think it's cool but at the same time scary, they have a bunch of guns, but seeing them have fun, especially in the dunk tank, is fun," resident Izabella Linden said. 

According to Bexley Police, events like this help build relationships, especially with children, creating trust that can last well beyond one summer night.

"I kind of feel like, sometimes, crime fighting is a little scary, so I feel like talking to them makes it seem a little better," resident Nora Hyttenhove said.

Officers want families to know them not just in emergencies but as part of the community.

"I think that through the bounce houses and the tug of war games that we're going to play, people are going to see the person behind the badge more as a human being than just the police officer," Bexley Police Community Liaison Officer Clayton Adams said.

Lewis said this couldn't be done without their partnerships with other agencies like the Ohio State Highway Patrol, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Criminal Investigations. 

"They keep us safe really well, and I'm really grateful for that," resident Rafael Linden said.

The agencies educated the community on what they do and helped generate interest in public safety. 

"When you listen to our young kids saying one day they want to grow up to be police officers or firefighters, where better can they engage with us, but an event like National Night Out," Lewis said.

In Columbus, the Department of Neighborhoods awarded nearly $27,000 in grant funds to support National Night Out events in the city.