Linwood, Northfield, Somers Point hosting festive evening of community building Aug. 2
Police departments in many towns across the nation missed out on a couple of chances to connect with their communities amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which canceled National Night Out events in 2020 and 2021.
But now many are resuming their events, aimed at bringing law enforcement and the community together on positive terms.
“Cities and towns are excited to get the NNO party started,” National Night Out creator Matt Peskin said. “Local coordinators are anxious to showcase their strong relationships with neighbors and first-responders. National Night Out is a celebration of neighborhoods who work year round to build safer, more caring communities.”
Departments in Somers Point, Linwood and Northfield also are excited.
“We are back in action,” said organizer Kate Mackenzie, secretary to Chief Robert Somers in Somers Point.
Mackenzie said the SPPD had to take two years off from hosting the event because of COVID. She said they could not hold it in 2020, when the virus was spreading rapidly and leading to numerous fatalities. Then in 2021, when public health had improved after release of the vaccines, they were reluctant to solicit donations from local business owners who had suffered through the loss of income over the prior year.
According to its website, National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.
National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community and providing a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.
Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August.
Neighborhoods host block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and various other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, exhibits and more.
Mackenzie said Somers Point’s event will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 2. It will be at a different location this year, moving from the Chief William Morrow Beach on Bay Avenue to Lawrence “Bud” Kern Field.
She said the new location will provide more parking, a harder surface for strollers and wheelchairs and the opportunity to grow. It’s also more centrally located and thus more accessible to all, she noted.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a beach chair to relax while The Notion performs live music. Children will be able to get their face painted, hop around in a bounce house and interact with characters from “Encanto.” There will be demonstrations from the Somers Point Volunteer Fire Company and police K-9 dogs.
The event will include free hot dogs donated by ShopRite, while food trucks from Josie Kelly’s, TacocaT and Ken’s Ice Cream will be on site.
The city had received grant funding through the Municipal Drug Alliance in the past but this year received a lot of help from vendors and self-funded other things.
“It’s important for us to still host this event,” Mackenzie said.
Multiple officers and their spouses donate their time to the event. Mackenzie said she couldn’t have organized the event without the help of Sgt. Nick Wagner and secretary Amanda Forshaw.
“A lot of the guys grew up in Somers Point and are into it,” she said. “We love doing this.”
Something new this year is a collection for the Humane Society of Atlantic County.
Mackenzie said the organization donated a microchip reader to the SPPD that “has been phenomenal in helping get pets back to owners.”
“We are accepting donations of the following to help us thank the Humane Society of Atlantic County for their donation: Paper towels, sanitizer wipes, canned cat/dog food, laundry detergent, bleach liquid or tablets (no scents), original Dawn dish soap, fabric softener, Formula 409 cleaner, Clorox Clean-Up, copy paper, Swiffer Dusters small Milk Bone-type dog biscuits (no rawhide), unopened bags of good-quality dry dog and cat food.”
In Linwood, Chief Steven Cunningham said the police department is thrilled to bring back National Night Out from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 2 on the Wabash Avenue side of All Wars Memorial Park.
“Hosting National Night Out is our way of giving back and inviting the community to continue to get to know the officers in a relaxed and casual setting,” Cunningham said. “Our committee has worked tirelessly to make the return of National Night Out our biggest and best event yet.”
Cunningham is an advocate of community-based policing, saying making connections is vital to understanding.
“This is an excellent opportunity to continue connecting with our community, which is ultimately why we are here,” Cunningham said. “Their faith in us ultimately makes the community a safer place.”
Cunningham said the event is a way to “send a message to criminals that the city of Linwood New Jersey is fighting back” while “fostering a friendly neighborhood feeling in Linwood where law enforcement personnel are familiar and approachable for everyone.”
Activities will include drug- and alcohol-awareness presentations, displays, games, refreshments, anti-crime rallies, prizes and even a few surprises.
Sgt. Guy DiMarco and Deputy City Clerk Shannon Campbell have organized the event in Northfield, which likewise is returning for the first time since 2019.
Hosted by the Northfield Police Department and Northfield Municipal Alliance, the event will include 23 vendors offering children’s activities, health and wellness information, games and crafts from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 2 at Birch Grove Park.
There will be prizes and giveaways from the HERO Campaign, Girl Scouts and others, as well as sand art from Good Shepherd Church and a rain gutter regatta by the Cub Scouts in which winners receive an emergency whistle or compass. The Otto Bruyns Public Library will be giving away books.
“There will be free hot dogs and hamburgers and Mayor Chau has paid for Kona Ice treats,” Campbell said, adding that a grand re-opening of the Northfield Museum and Casto House will be held to celebrate its recent paint job.
Campbell said members of the police department and their spouses, as well as volunteers from other community groups, provide the manpower.
“It’s a real community event even behind the scenes, too,” Campbell said. “You need good volunteers to make it work.”
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff