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Kids mingle, talk and laugh with police and firefighters
YOUNGSTOWN
The city’s National Night Out March Against Crime observance is an event that gives Youngstown kids and police and firefighters a chance to mingle in a relaxed setting – where a siren doesn’t mean someone is hurt or in trouble.
In fact, one of the most-popular activities among the kids at the National Night Out on Tuesday in historic Wick Park was working the sirens on police cruisers and motorcycles and Youngstown Fire Department Engine 7, stationed at the firehouse at Madison Avenue and Elm Street, which serves the Wick Park area.
The kids also gathered around the uniformed police, laughing and talking.
“I believe events like this help people, especially children, to see police in a relaxed atmosphere ... to interact with each other and see that they are normal people,” said Marguerite Douglas, financial secretary of the Lincoln Knolls Community Watch.
“We support Annie Hall’s event every year,” Douglas said.
National Night Out events around the country aim to enhance the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community.
Hall, who said she is a proud resident of Youngstown’s East Side, has organized the city’s National Night Out March Against Crime for 21 years.
“We’re trying to get it across to our young people and others that we want them to help keep our neighborhoods safe,” said Hall, who received a proclamation from Mayor John A. McNally, recognizing her efforts.
“I’m proud of the city, and I want it to stay clean. I want people to stop fighting and killing each other,” Hall said.
“If people have a problem, let’s sit down and talk about it. Let’s see if we can solve it without putting a bullet in each other,” she said.
The event began with a parade, primarily of safety vehicles from Youngstown, the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office and from some outlying communities, which drove around Wick Park, which is bounded by Elm Street and Madison, Fifth and Broadway avenues.
“I think it is a good idea. We need a lot of help with the younger kids,” said Ruth Walker, who brings her great-grandchildren to the park during the summer months.
“We value every opportunity to connect with the community in other than law-enforcement roles. It’s always a plus,” said Youngstown Police Chief Robin Lees.
“The kids are still of an age where they don’t shy away from us. Maybe we’ll create an interest in some in a career in law enforcement,” Lees said.
“This event helps kids see police are normal people, and can change their perspective about police when everything is intense because of what is happening around the country and around the world. This breaks down barriers,” Douglas said.