Hot dogs, community awareness, safety, and a good old hey neighbor attitude highlighted National Night Out in Cypress on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
Hot dogs, community awareness, safety, and a good old hey neighbor attitude highlighted National Night Out in Cypress on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
The event featured numerous community groups gathered to discuss important local issues, like coyote awareness, emergency preparedness, and the many different aspects of law enforcement in the city.
The event was well attended by residents like Conner Freeman, who took a seat on a Cypress Police Department motorcycle and discussed his future plans before heading into his senior year at Cypress High School.
“I have driven an all terrain vehicle, but never a motorcycle,” he said. “Actually, I would like to cross over and start riding motorcycles.”
Freeman plans to attend Cypress College after graduation, and then transfer to California State University Long Beach, but on that evening he was enjoying time with his mom, Stacy Berry.
“I am hanging out with Conner, and wanted to see what National Night Out has to offer,” she said. “We are checking out all the things on display from the police force, and things about the city, in general.”
Part of the benefit of National Night Out is seeing the more human side of law enforcement, Berry said, and their role in the community.
“They are just like you and me and here to help us,” she said.
Next on the agenda for Conner and Stacy was dinner.
“We are going to check out the Target tent,” she said.
The Target tent was fully staffed have volunteers, and took care of dinner and treats for parents and children.
Manager Allisa Ford said she had 20 employees who were eager to participate in the festivities.
“We have a great team and people love to volunteer at Target,” she said. “We have hot dogs, fruit snacks, games and little treats for the children.”
Ford said this was her first National Night Out and her department, assets protection, always coordinates the effort.
“I am very excited to be here and consider this a very good experience,” she said. “The person who ran the effort last year is with me tonight and we are peers working together.”
The company keeps a strong relationship with the police throughout the year.
“We work together, but this is about getting the community involved with safety and the police department,” she said.
Joining the festivities was the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers, and spokesperson Pat O’Toole said the group was on hand showing community spirit and looking for new volunteers.
“National Night Out happens clear across the country, and we are here telling people they need to be prepared for an emergency,” he said.
Basic training from CERT gives residents a clear vision on how to prepare for an emergency and what supplies should be accessible and how to effectively help neighbors.
“There is light search and rescue training, disaster psychology and the basic CERT command structure,” O’Toole said. “My wife and I are nearly 80 years old, active and productive within the organization.”
The organization is fun, he said, and can give residents peace of mind.
Commander Steve Ramsey said the department has been sponsoring National Night Out for five years.
“We started off having a police open house, but discontinued it for various reasons” he said. “This has kind of morphed into a police open house and a National Night Out in the same vein.”
A wide cross-section of the department was on-hand for the event, Ramsey said, and it shows unison with the community.
“We are standing up to crime and enjoying our neighbors and the neighborhood in Cypress,” he said. “We have grown this program over the years and have fish and wildlife here tonight, Southern California Edison and a local university. It is not just the police department and I envision an even larger presence in the future.
Ramsey said he appreciates the effort Target puts into the event.
“We have enjoyed a great relationship with Target for many years,” he said. “They are a big supporter and provide grants for law enforcement.”
For more information about National Night Out, visit www.natw.org.