St. Joseph emergency services host National Night Out
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- St. Joseph emergency services hosted a National Night Out on Tuesday evening at Civic Center Park.
The event gives the opportunity for the community to meet the men and women who serve the community and learn about public safety.
The St. Joseph Police Department, Buchanan County Sheriff's Office, Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, Andrew County Sheriff's Office, Missouri Western State University Police Department, Buchanan County EMS and the St. Joseph Fire Department will be in attendance.
The event featured a bounce house, free food, live music and an opportunity to watch St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster take a seat in the dunk tank.
Sgt. James Edwards talks about how National Night Out helps build trust with the community.
"Ultimately, we are public service; almost everyone out here you see is public service in some way. I think it's very important to build that trust, because we want the community to trust us," he said. "We want them to be able to trust us with handling issues that they may have, and be comfortable to call us when they do need help."
Assistant Fire Chief Jamey McVicker shared tips on how residents can help keep their neighborhoods safe and support local first responders throughout the year.
"Check on your neighbors. Let's be good neighbors, be good citizens to each other," he said. "You know if you don't see somebody leaving the house, knock on the door. If they can't check on it then call us; we'll check on it. Another thing is listening to the tips we give out."
Sheriff Bill Puett says he wants residents to know that law enforcement is always available to help and encourages people to reach out whenever they need assistance.
"We're all people too, and we're here to help people. We wanna do a good job. We want to make the community a better, safer place," he said.
For many families, the event was about more than just the activities. One group of friends explains how it feels to meet first responders in a relaxed setting.
" A lot more energetic and like calming than being in trouble," said Maya Watkins.
All of the agencies shared the same message: if you ever need help, don't hesitate to call.
