Four-and-a-half-year-old Sebastian Sy hopped in and out of an excavator, bulldozer and loader all within a few minutes, accompanied by his father Harold Sy. There were no hard hats in sight, and they weren’t at a construction site, but rather at a community event in Glenview meant to strengthen community ties between the police department and local residents.
Communities across the United States celebrated National Night Out, an event designed to foster stronger relationships between communities and local law enforcement, on Aug. 5. As the events have gotten bigger in Glenview and Northbrook, the celebrations have sprawled to include participation from their fire departments, park districts, libraries, public works departments and other community-serving groups.
Glenview celebrated its National Night Out at the Glenview Park Center. Close to 400 people gathered at the fair-like environment with groups representing everything from the Glenview Public Library, East Maine School District 63, McDonald’s and other local institutions. The Glenview Police Department, Glenview Fire Department, and Glenview Public Works also brought out their vehicles as part of the event’s “Touch a Truck” segment, giving residents an open tour to inspect, take photos and ask questions about vehicles they sometimes see on a regular basis.
“I love it,” Harold Sy said of National Night Out. “It’s bringing community together, making us aware.”
Harold Sy said he grew up in Glenview, and just returned in the last year. “I always look for stuff to do in the area, and this is one of the events that we saw.”
The Glenview Police Department brought back its kid-friendly bike path, a chalk drawing on pavement meant to teach riders the rules of the road. This year, it was named in memorial of Office Robert Fryc, a Glenview Police officer who was killed in a car crash earlier this year. Fryc was the department’s bicycle officer, according to Sergeant Carly Gaba.
“We’re really thankful for our community partnerships and that we’re able to put on something where we can all be together for all the kids in town,” Gaba said.
“It’s great for the kids, and for the community,” said Glenview resident John Olen. “It all matters; we’re all in this together.”
Over in Northbrook, the Northbrook Police Department celebrated its National Night Out with a pool party at the Meadowhill Aquatic Center, reaching levels of participation never seen before, according to Community Relations Supervisor Richard Rash. He estimated 800 people celebrated National Night Out.
“This is like our biggest turnout. We ran out of stuff by like 6:30 p.m,” Rash said, referring to the free hot dogs. “Our parking lot is jammed, so we’re super, super happy this was well attended.”
At both events, the local police departments showed off the skills of the departments’ police dogs. In Northbrook, K9’s Bob and Pongo detected and alerted their handlers Todd Feingold and Dave Humphries of specific drug-scented parcels. The two also showed a demonstration of what a K9 takedown looks like, with Humphries acting as a target and K9 Bob subduing him.
Michelle Halazonitis, a Northbrook resident, said, “we love coming out here and bringing the whole family. It’s always a special night, and especially we love coming out to see the police dogs.”
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