Coming together to fight crime

Residents came out Tuesday evening at Woodlot Park for fun, games and a learning experience to celebrate National Night Out.

By:Craig Sernotti
   Fathers playing catch with their sons. Children playing tag. Face painting and a radio station giving away free tickets to Six Flags Great Adventure. Who would’ve guessed that this is a way to combat crime?
   Believe it or not it is.
   Residents came out Tuesday evening at Woodlot Park for fun, games and a learning experience to celebrate National Night Out.
   The event, first held in 1984 and created by the nonprofit organization National Association of Town Watch, was a time for members of the community to meet and talk with the Police Department. It was also a time to become a closer-knit community.
   Free food, drinks and games were everywhere behind Crossroads Middle School. Young children flocked to the two inflated mazes. Many had their arms and faces painted with various designs, from animals to stars to mustaches. Other children competed in sack races.
   Along with the fun came exhibits and demonstrations by the police, fire and rescue departments, as well as PSE&G. An ambulance was open for children to explore and fire trucks and police cars were on display. PSE&G workers gave safety demonstrations by using fake transformers and wires and showing how a squirrel can cause a power outage.
   One of the police displays was crime scene evidence collection, run by Patrol Officer Mike Rogers. He showed how the police could lift prints, take photographs on all surfaces and in any amount of light and take molds of footprints.
   "Night Out is useful," he said. "It familiarizes the community with the capabilities of the local department."
   "I think it’s a really good idea," said Beth Rosenthal of Dayton. "It teaches kids it’s important to be safe and that the officers are our friends."
   WMGQ 98.3-FM from Franklin Township was broadcasting live from the event. The two radio personalities played Name That Tune with the crowd and the winners received T-shirts, tickets to a minor league baseball game and tickets to Six Flags.
   Spicing things up even more was a helicopter, flown in by the Army National Guard. Child after child climbed in and pretended to fly it.
   Sgt. Patrick Owens, public information officer, estimated that about 1,100 people braved the humid weather to attend the event.
   As these people walked around, members of the Police Department greeted and talked with them. In any direction one looked one could see police officers and members of the community talking, smiling and laughing.
   "It’s a real coming together," said Karen Hallman of Dayton. "It’s great for the town and great for the kids. I wish I had something like this when I was growing up."