Twelve events meant to bring police, other first responders and residents together were held Tuesday evening in Charleston.
National Night Out is "an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live," according to organizers behind the national movement.
At Orchard Manor, on the West Side, parents mingled and ate hot dogs and hamburgers while children played on a blow-up slide and hula-hooped. Charleston police Sgt. Paul Perdue, who leads the public services unit, passed out junior police officer bracelets and pencils.
Perdue said building trusting relationships between police officers and community members, through
Neighborhood Watch groups and community events, has become more important in recent years. The badge, he said, once was enough to inspire respect.
"Recent events in other cities and other parts of the country have taken away from that respect," and police must work to rebuild it, Perdue said. "It's almost a necessity now for law enforcement to be able to do that."
Dozens of people attended the event at Orchard Manor.
Stephanie Bego, who lives on the West Side, was vending snow cones. She is the director of the W3 dance team. Several of the team's dancers live at Orchard Manor.
She said the event was a "nice thought," although she had hoped to see Mayor Danny Jones.
"People can get familiar with some of the police officers' faces," she said. "They won't be intimidated."
Traci Phillips and her husband, Justin, brought the slide. They operate the Fun Fitness Kids Club, which rents toddler fitness equipment. She is from Dunbar and he grew up on the West Side.
She said the event was an opportunity "to meet our law enforcement."
"You can build a relationship in one second," she said.
Tricia Kingery noted that the economy is struggling.
"We want to take a night off and say, 'Let's be thankful for what we have,' " she said.
She had set up a booth for the West Side 360 group, a community project of the Charleston Police Department.
Her father, John Clendenen, had been principal at several local high schools.
"He would want me to be here to make a difference," she said, "because that's what he did."
Reach Erin Beck at erin.beck@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5163, Facebook.com/erinbeckwv or follow @erinbeckwv on Twitter.
