DAYTON, Ohio — Across the country, police engaged with citizens as part of National Night Out. In Dayton, officers made multiple stops through the Gem City on Aug. 2 to build connections between law enforcement and the people they serve.
What You Need To Know
- The Dayton Police Department and many other police agencies met with their communities on National Night Out
- National Night Out serves as a way to bring police and residents together in a non-emergency situation
- Dayton Police visited four neighborhoods: Twin Towers, Residence Park, Old North Dayton and Westwood
- Westwood residents look at the interactions as a strong start to build trust in the community
Dayton Police Department Assistant Police Chief Eric Henderson was excited to get the chance to meet some Daytonians on National Night Out.
“These are block parties essentially,” Henderson said. “Being able to come out, just have fun, laugh, joke and just have a good time, eat some good food and just talk.”
Henderson was born and raised in Dayton, so he knows how impactful the events can be for children because representation matters.
“Anytime a kid that looks just like me can see someone like me in uniform, it just lets them know that it’s a potential opportunity for them,” Henderson said.
Dayton police officers made stops in four neighborhoods: Twin Towers, Old North Dayton, Residence Park and Westwood — where officers played some pickup basketball — a welcome sight to Cam Stevens, a parent in Westwood.
“Interacting with the community, that’s what we need more of,” Stevens said. “That’s what we need more of. It makes us intertwined.”
Organizer Larry Williams has lived in Westwood for 33 years, so he’s seen a lot of change. Westwood residents recently identified safety as their top concern. Williams thinks building trust between citizen and officer is another important issue.
“These are human beings,” Williams said. “They just have uniforms on. They’re doing a great job for our city.”
Williams believes a good relationship with police is built on respect on both ends.
“Get to talk to each other, we meet each other, we’ll understand both sides of the thing,” Williams said.
Henderson said building positive relationships takes time and effort, but it all starts with a smile.
“Just breaking down the barriers,” Henderson said. “Just saying hi. If a citizen sees an officer, say hi to them. We encourage our officers to speak to our citizens. So that’s what we’re really doing.”