HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Huntington Police and the public will interact this evening on National Night Out Against Crime. The event is observed all over the country each year and is aimed at forging a relationship and a familiarity between police officers and the public. The event in Huntington is especially aimed at letting children understand the role police play in society and to see them not as a potential enemy, but in a role of service and protection.
“We do a lot of kids activities with blow-ups and games. We also have about 40 vendors, services throughout the city like the Cabell County Health Department, Prestera, and stuff like that to come and give information on the services they offer to the community,” said Huntington Police Community Outreach Specialist Jeff Ash.
The event is held at Ritter Park and is expected to draw more than 1500 people Tuesday evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Several Marshall football players will be on hand for the event to interact with kids and sign autographs. The agency also invites other police agencies like the FBI, CSX Police, State Police, and Cabell County Sheriff’s Department to be on hand to greet those who show up.
There will be free food and a chance for neighbors to get to know one another. Residents can also build a rapport with officers who patrol their neighborhood and to share any concerns they might have.
“We want them to see not just a uniform, but also the people behind the badge. We want to interact and eat ice cream together and just see us in a different light,” he explained.
Officials hope the event plants good seeds which will be reaped down the road when the youngsters are grown and may have future interactions with police.
“It’s just a way to make our guys and gals approachable for those kids that may not have that positive interaction,” he said.