HOMEWOOD, Ala. (WIAT) - Many cities around metro Birmingham participated in National Night Out events Tuesday. It was an opportunity for first responders to strengthen relationships within the community.
“We’re here to serve and protect you. We work for you,” Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond said.
Police departments from Bessemer to Homewood to Birmingham say these nights are extremely important for giving people the chance to meet officers who patrol their streets face-to-face on a night centered around having fun.
"This gives us an opportunity in our community to let the kids see [police officers], to see they are people and they’re nice and here to help us," Homewood resident Lauren Bearden said. "I think that overall it creates a sense of community and safety with our kids.”
The overall goal of National Night Out for Homewood, Bessemer and Birmingham is the same, to let the community know police officers are just like them.
"We’re out obviously every day patrolling and doing our service to the community but you know, new people move in and you know, you want to build that relationship with them that hey, you can come talk to a Homewood police officer, we’re approachable,” Homewood Police Sgt. John Carr said.
"You get to meet your neighbor," Bessemer Police Chief Michael Wood said. "That is the whole basis is that you learn your community and you have someone who watches out for you and you watch out for them.”
Police departments say community involvement is vital in solving cases and helping to keep violence in the city at bay.
"We’re here to help you, we’re here to serve you. We’ve got to build those relationships and we need your assistance in solving crime in our city," Thurmond said. "You got all kinds of different officers here, men, women, bicycle officers, patrol officers, school resource officers, you got every kind of officer here [Tuesday night] and it’s building those relationships, breaking down those barriers.”
Some in the community say National Night Out also gives them a chance to show their police officers how much they appreciate their work.
"We have some great police officers with great huge hearts and they love this city. They love helping, giving back, trying to find solutions to problems, trying to combat violence, not just gun violence but any types of violence," Jessica Brown with Voices of Black Mothers United said. "The police, we need them, we support them and we love them.”
Both community members and police departments say they see benefits come from positive events like National Night Out.