By Shaun Szkolnik
TRUSSVILLE – On Tuesday, October 2, the Trussville Police Department will host their fifth annual National Night Out beginning at 5 p.m. The annual event will be held in the Target parking lot in Trussville extending to the T.J. Maxx parking area.
National Night Out is a community outreach program that helps build relationships between communities and law enforcement through block-party events. In addition to festivities, law enforcement provides citizens with safety demonstrations, visits from emergency personnel, and much more.
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 store is the main sponsor of the local event, and 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 Kona Ice of Birmingham, and an Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s helicopter will even be dropping in.
The Fire Prevention Smoke House will also be on the scene which is a small replica of a home and teaches young children how to react in the event of a real 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 toolset.