The Michigan City Police Department hosted a National Night Out Against Crime alongside countless other police departments across the country. The event allowed community members to interact with and get to know members of the law enforcement team protecting their city.
“This is something that the Michigan City Police Department hasn't participated in for probably 15 years plus. It is an event where we can get out, gather a lot of people together, celebrate our community, and build strong relationships with the community in which we serve,” Chief of Police Steven “Steve” Forker said.
Strong relationships between law enforcement and community members are important, but even more, connections are being made at this event. Michigan City Mayor Duane Parry made it clear that government, law enforcement, and the fire department need to work together in order to fully protect and support the community.
“The purpose of these types of events is to bring the community together,” Parry said. “There is not one entity, government, police or fire that can solve the issues that a community faces alone.”
Forker and Assistant Chief of Police Marty Corley emphasized the importance of this event within the community. National Night Out Against Crime is something the Michigan City Police Department and community will be participating in for years to come.
“It feels good to get the community out and get to build those relationships with the community, which is important in fighting crime,” Corley said. “When you know each other you can relate with each other, communicate with each other and trust each other. I think events like this build that relationship, build that trust in order so we can better serve the community and the community can better trust us.”
The police department worked with community partners to make this event possible. Some of these partners donated bicycles to give away in a raffle. Along with these bikes, children that won were also able to choose a helmet to ensure they stay safe while they ride.
“The Singing-Sands bike trail runs right through Michigan City,” Forker said. “This is an opportunity to introduce kids to be active and give them a safe trail to ride on, and make them aware of it.”
There was a bike cruise during the event led by the Michigan City Police Department Bike Unit to familiarize those who joined with the bike trails in the area. Community members were able to ride their bikes alongside police officers and ask any questions they might have had regarding enforcing laws on a bicycle.
After the bike cruise returned to Pullman Park, the K-9 Officers were able to demonstrate their skills. A narcotic search demonstration, an article search demonstration, and a suited bite demonstration were conducted, and community members were encouraged to ask questions.
Community members were invited to witness these demonstrations and get their questions answered. This allowed them to form a connection with the officers and learn more about how their community is being protected.
“It's a good time for our community to come together, and for us to get to know our community,” Forker said. “We continue to work on that trust and that transparency and continue to do outreach for our community so we can better serve each other. Michigan City is a great place to live.”
For more information regarding the Michigan City Police Department, please visit emichigancity.com.
