The village of Oak Park is hosting a community get together to strengthen the relationship and promote crime prevention efforts between residents and the Oak Park Police Department. The event marks the first time the village is participating in “National Night Out,” a nationwide community-police awareness event.
Oak Park residents of all ages are invited to join Oak Park police officers for an evening of fun and camaraderie Aug. 1, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., on the south lawn of Village Hall, 123 Madison St.
The free event will have inflatable bounce houses, face painting, refreshments, games and even a real fire engine, courtesy of the Oak Park Fire Department. Attendees will also be able to take a crack at dunking Chief Shatonya Johnson at the “Dunk the Police” dunk tank.
Amid the merrymaking, attendees can drop by booths to pick up information on crime prevention and community resources. Firefighters and police officers will also be onsite giving safety demonstrations.
Oak Park will be one of more than 17,000 communities taking part in the “National Night Out,” which was started in 1984 by the National Association of Town Watch, a non-profit, crime prevention organization. The event is intended to promote partnership between residents and law enforcement and strengthen neighborhood bonds while raising awareness of crime prevention strategies and initiatives for the safety and wellbeing of the community.
