Community weathers storm for National Night Out in Bethel Park
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Despite inclement weather, Bethel Park Police Department’s National Night Out was a true community event as 50 attendees gathered under the protective roof of a pavilion in Miner’s Memorial Park.
“I feel really bad because it’s such a nice event that they do for the community here every year,” Paula Boles said in response to the untimely brewing of a storm. “The past two years that we’ve come, they’ve never dealt with this rain.”
Boles said that every time she and her family members see the free event announced on Facebook, they are eager to spend the night with the police.
Although it was wet and cold, attendees still had smiles on their faces, some even getting them painted while crammed under the covering.
Aug. 6 marked National Night Out, an annual event celebrated on the first Tuesday of the month to encourage partnerships between law enforcement and the community, according to the campaign’s website.
“It’s just a way for us to bond with the community,” said Dave Arnold, chief of police.
This was Arnold’s first time attending the event, and he said he enjoyed it. He explained that it was great to bond with the kids and their parents in a relaxed setting.
“We can have fun versus being the one that has to pull up and tell them, ‘No, you can’t do this,’” he said.
The night consisted of free pizza from Fat Angelo’s, Beedle’s Ice Cream, raffle giveaways, vendor visits from the community and Badger, an adoptable husky from South Hills Pet Rescue.
Some children danced to the tunes trumpeting from the Pittsburgh DJ Truck, while others utilized the playground while it was safe to do so.
The evening went beyond benefiting community members, but also the local businesses that were involved.
Jim Contakos, a regional asset protection manager at Dollar Tree, proposed the idea of having a presence at the event after attending McKeesport’s National Night Out.
“My boss and I were talking about how we, as a department, could get more involved with the local authorities, so that they understand who we are and who to get in touch with,” Contakos said.
At Contakos’ booth, kids could select a number of school supplies from rulers to pencil cases, all free of charge.
In addition, representatives from Girl Scouts, the U.S. Army, ADT security, Crossroads and a face painter all showed to be a part of the community.
As gray clouds rolled, the wind picked up sweeping up papers from some of the vendors’ booths. Moments later, thunder boomed and the sky opened with a heavy rain. Attendees fled from the event, some remaining seeking cover within the park.
Regardless of a storm, attendees were grateful for the evening.
Ed Duschek brought his grandkids to the function for the first time.
“I was impressed. I didn’t expect all this stuff down here,” Ed Duschek said. “I thought a few things would be here, but not this much.”
Duschek said it was a good experience for the children due to the social aspect it offers.
“You want them to get a good impression of the policeman,” he said.
Though the night ended with soggy pizza and wet clothes, it met its goal of boosting the connection between law enforcement and residents of the community.
Amber DiFranco, Bethel Park’s newest community resource officer, was in charge of planning the summer evening escape, “the first big event I got to organize,” she said. “Everyone has been so receptive of it, and they want to participate so badly.”
Although DiFranco said the organization was chaotic to put together, she was happy it all came together. And she drew the praise of her chief.
“She’s done a great job getting this organized in such a short period of time,” Arnold said.