By Shaun Szkolnik
TRUSSVILLE – On Tuesday the Trussville Police Department will host their fifth annual National Night Out Tuesday, October 2 starting at 5 p.m. It will be held in the back of the Target Parking lot and will extend to the T.J. Max.
National Night Out is a community outreach program that helps to build relationships between law enforcement and the community through, what is essentially, a party that the whole city is invited to.
As Trussville police Sargent Chuck Bradford said, “It is a great way for the community to show support, and for the police to show our appreciation to the community with this block party.” Bradford also said, “It gives us all a chance to interact, to let people know that we are here for the community and we appreciate all they do for us.”
The Trussville Target is the main sponsor of the local event, Target is the sponsor of the national event as well, but many other local businesses will be participating.
The event is free and everyone is welcome but the festivities are especially geared towards the kids. That is not by accident. As Bradford explained, “If you start, at a young age, you can really build those core and value relationships.” This is a strategy that has already yielded success. Many of these children have grown very comfortable interacting with law enforcement because of community resource officers in the schools.
Planned activities will include bouncy houses, a tour of public emergency vehicles (the fire department will be on hand too), face painting for the kids, corn-hole, hot dogs for the first thousand guests and a refreshing ice drink, for the first 500 kids, provided by Cone of Ice, and an Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s helicopter will even be dropping by. The Smoke House will also be on scene. For those that don’t know the Smoke House is a small replica of a home that teaches young children how to react in the event of a fire.
There will also be door prizes, drawings and giveaways. Last year Academy Sports gave away 13 bicycles and Home Depot gave away a $300 tool set.