by Melanie Jongsma
LANSING, Ill. (August 7, 2019) – “This is one of the largest crowds we’ve had,” said Lt. Scott Bailey about Tuesday’s National Night Out. Typically the event is held in one of Lansing’s parks—for many years Lan Oak Park, and more recently Rotary Park—and about 200 people attend. At Fox Pointe, and estimated 500 attended.
In spite of the increase in people, the event did not feel crowded. The venue’s spacious lawn provided room for bags, bubbles, and a bounce house around the periphery, while the main crowd sat in the grass to watch a demonstration by Officer Keith Haan and K9 Officer Rico. Behind them, people sat at picnic tables in the pavilion, enjoying polish sausage, chips, and soft drinks. The perfect weather encouraged conversation and community.
And that’s really the purpose of National Night Out, “A national community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships.” Lt. Bailey affirmed that purpose when he addressed the crowd and thanked everyone for coming out. He also noted that several members of the last two Citizens Police Academy classes were at the event. Under Bailey’s leadership, the Citizens Police Academy has become another way to build police-community partnerships.
Scenes from National Night Out 2019
Officer Haan demonstrates how his K9 partner, Officer Rico, is trained to respond to commands to chase down a suspect and hang on until commanded to release:
Fox Pointe is located at 18138 Henry Street in Lansing, Illinois. In addition to regular concerts and entertainment scheduled by the Village, the venue hosts regular community events and is available for private rental. Visit foxpointe.org for more information.
