The community was invited to shake hands with officers, take a tour of the city of San Fernando police department (SFPD), visit information booths and ask questions at National Night Out held Tuesday, Oct. 7 – set up right outside the agency’s headquarters.
The annual event, which takes place across thousands of neighborhoods throughout the United States, is a community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships. For the City of San Fernando, it was its 12th year participating in the campaign.
Most of the previous events included a large stage with music and entertainment and free hot dogs – last Tuesday’s National Night Out emphasized the resource booths, the tour of the police station, the K-9 unit and a live demonstration of a felony traffic stop.
Attendees could also take pictures next to a SFPD 1956 Chevy patrol car, while kids could get their faces painted or get up close to a sheep at a mini petting zoo.
Non-profit organizations Pueblo y Salud, Boy Scouts of America and BuildAbility were represented at booths alongside the San Fernando Police Advisory Council and the San Fernando Law Enforcement Explorer Post 521, where kids as young as 10 could sign up and learn leadership skills.
SFPD Chief Fabian Valdez highlighted those cadets from the explorer program, mainly middle school students, saying they have taken the first step toward learning about a law enforcement career.
“It’s [part of] our efforts to interface more with our young people because the only way that we’re really going to ensure that our police department continues is to make sure young people understand that the police are here to serve,” Valdez said. “All of our officers and our professional staff are here to serve you,” he said.
Each of the City of San Fernando councilmembers addressed the crowd, encouraging the community to engage with the officers and ask questions.
“Especially the children,” Mayor Mary Mendoza said. “I think it’s important for the children to feel comfortable with them and ask them … just anything. That’s a breakthrough [moment] with our officers, knowing that they’re just like us.”
To learn more about the SFPD and Law Enforcement Explorer Post 521, go to https://ci.san-fernando.ca.us/sfpolice/.