The Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows, Community Services Agency Reno, and Reno Police Department are teaming up to bring National Night Out to Reno.
This event encourages the public to come out and build a stronger bond with our police community in an effort to help build safer neighborhoods and more caring places to live.
Reno Police Officer Chris Johnson says having a good relationship with the community is really important and benefits everyone. "Everything is better for the entire city you know," says Officer Johnson. "We see crime rates dropping, you see the public trusts the police department more to do the right job and to police the community and be a part of the community."
Jane Burns, a Reno resident who attended the event says, "It opens up new avenues and doors for people who don't know what's out there."
Everyone got to enjoy a free barbeque, families were playing games at different booths, and kids got to get a close look into police cars and fire trucks.
Johnson says, "It's fun being able to interact with the kids, play some football or some soccer, showing them around the different cars that we have, the motorcycles."
He says they have all kinds of conversations throughout the day whether it be positive ones like invitations to different events or more serious ones.
"We also have some of those tougher conversations where we're being asked, 'Hey, why does the department do this a certain way or that a certain way,' so we're answering those questions honestly. We're trying to be transparent and build trust with the people of our community."
Johnson says they love having these types of conversations because these are the conversations that really reinforce the sense of community that we have.
Burns says she loves everything about National Night Out in Reno.
"I just love it all. I mean they give you free food, which is amazing but getting to know all the different people and different organizations that are out there. Like, I've had new things come up for me and for my granddaughter so it's just the outreach is the most important thing to me."
Even though this event is now over, you don't have to wait another year to talk with these organizations and first responders. Johnson says you're welcome to approach Reno police at any community event - or even casually on the street; whether you want to say hi, show your support, and even ask questions.
