CONNECTICUT, USA — National Night Out, a country-wide initiative centered around community building between police departments and those they serve, took place Tuesday.
The event morphed into a night in for some due to a chance of rain. One of several Connecticut communities that participated was Meriden.
“It’s a night where police and the community can come together and help strengthen that bond,” said Jerry Scully, deputy chief of the Meriden Police Department.
The initiative has taken place in most states on the first Tuesday in August since 1984, with a goal of building up relationships and fostering an environment of trust.
“To say hello, to shake our hands to realize, yeah we wear a uniform, we are police officers but we’re human beings,” said Scully.
Melanie Peters and Karina Guartan are involved with the Meriden Police Cadets and attended the Night Out initiative.
“Certainly we both want to get involved with the police department. It’s important to know your community and start building those connections and just being around and helping out,” said Peters.
“And making sure everyone is safe in this community,” added Guartan.
Night Out celebrations typically involve free activities for families, food, entertainment, informational booths and more. This event also featured a swearing-in ceremony, where the newest four-legged member of the Meriden police department took the oath of office.
Those in attendance recognized the need for a unifying campaign like this.
Meriden resident Sabrina White said, “I think just with the climate in our world, it’s nice to see the community coming together and just having a positive outreach and relationship.”
“We’re grateful for the relationship we have with them and hopefully this will strengthen that relationship just a little bit more and we’ll continue moving forward in the City of Meriden,” said Scully.
Other Night Out celebrations were postponed due to the weather. The full schedule can be found here.
Kaelee Collins is a multimedia journalist for FOX61 News. She can be reached at kcollins@fox61.com. Follow her on X, and Instagram.
---
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Stream Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.