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National Night Out Promises Fun, Games And Safety Awareness
By Keith Hagarty
Bringing the community and police closer together in a cooperative effort
to keep the town safe has Jackson all
geared up to celebrate the 24th Annual "National Night Out" to be held Tuesday,
August 7 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Jackson Shopping Plaza (Shop Rite) on North County Line and Cook Road.
Created by the National Association of Town Watch, the "National Night Out" program was designed by the nonprofit, crime prevention organization to heighten awareness and strengthen participation in community-based anticrime efforts. Last year over 35.2 million people in 11,125 communities in the U.S. and Canada participated in the annual event.
"National Night Out" has been an annual tradition in Jackson for at least the last 15 years, according to Jackson Township Police Officer John Convery, who has seen the "National Night Out" program grow by leaps and bounds since he first attended the event 11 years ago.
"The first one I saw, it seemed like there were more first responders there than there were residents," Convery joked, estimating that only a few hundred people came out when the program first began. However, last year an estimated 2,000 residents flocked to the event, a number which Convery is confident will be surpassed this year.
"The last few years, it's just gotten bigger and bigger," said Convery. "New Jersey Lawn & Irrigation has jumped on board along with Shop Rite to provide some of the additional events for the kids. Every year the response just gets bigger and better."
Gone are the days of just a few squad cars needed to patrol the rural roadways of the town, as development has brought a flood of new residents and a host of new concerns and responsibilities to keep them all safe, according to Convery. "National Night Out" is an opportunity for the police to give all residents a first hand glimpse into how that's accomplished.
"So many people who live here now, they may originally come from the city or somewhere out west or wherever, and a lot of the time they're just not sure what's available here," he said. "Usually the response I get, more often than not, is, 'wow, I didn't know we had this available in Jackson' or 'I didn't know we could do this,' and things like that."
From inflatable rides, music, bags of cotton candy and an appearance by Dora the Explorer to a plethora of police and office of emergency management demonstrations, including a repelling exercise and the use of an automatic electronic deliberator and Fatal Vision goggles, just to name a few, Convery promises something for everyone in the family to enjoy.
"We try to include things for the kids that will keep them busy and attracted, and at the same time too they get to see all the great equipment the township has, like our S.W.A.T. (Special Weapons and Tactics) unit's equipment, our police motorcycle, our police A.T.V. (all-terrain vehicle) team, and things like that," he said. "So many people don't know it's out there, don't even know what we have it, so they get to see what type of first responses are out there, and what we have available."
One of the demonstrations will also include motor vehicle child safety seat inspections by the police department traffic safety officers.
"Believe it or not, about 90 percent of child seats are installed wrong," he said, "so this is a chance for parents to really see, by someone who's a trained professional, how to have it installed properly, and have it done right."
Electronic child identification kits will also be provided to all families to further protect their children. The new identification system is an exciting new step in protecting children's safety in Jackson Township, according to Convery.
"It's always a real popular program," he said. "The township council just purchased this year a brand new system for us so we can hopefully speed things up a little bit. It's very detailed regarding fingerprints, photographs and things like that, and that's always a huge hit."
Getting the chance to demystify the often intimidating aura of the police and communicate with parents and kids in a casual, welcoming atmosphere is one of the highlights of the year for Convery and the police force.
"We try to work on that throughout the year with our D.A.R.E. unit and programs like that, but it's always good for them to see us out there on a one-on-one basis in friendly environment," he said. "They get the chance to ask us any questions they want. For example, a lot of the time kids are confused about the new driving laws regarding graduated drivers licenses, so it's a chance to get to sit down and have a nice conversation with them in a positive environment."
Ultimately the best way to keep any town safe is through the active participation of its compassionate residents.
"It's a chance to bring neighbors and
neighborhoods together," said Convery. "We have so many people in town, and so
many people want to get involved, but they just don't know what's out there. So what it really does is give them a chance to see what's out there, what's available, and also what we try to make it part-carnival, partblock party and part-informational."
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