National Night Out provides police, community opportunity to come together

The Sigourney Police Department and Sigourney Police Auxiliary will host their 7^th Annual National Night Out in the Sigourney town square on August 2 from 5:00 p.m. to 8 p.m.

National Night Out, America’s Night Against Crime,” was nationally created in 1984. The event gives local law enforcement a chance to connect with children and families for an evening of games, live entertainment, petting zoo, inflatables, water games, a photo booth, contests and prizes. Not only do police get to engage with the community, it also allows them to raise awareness about programs and promote safety topics. Mallary Snakenberg, Sigourney Police Administrative Assistant, has been working on making this year’s event special, knowing that police/community relations across the country are at an all-time low.

“With everything going on in the news, this is a way to form a relationship with the community and make our city better,” Snakenberg said. “We’ve being doing this for so many years now, and we get great turnout.”

Between 550-600 have gathered in the square in previous year. More than $1,800 in donations was raised to buy prizes for attendees, both for boys and for girls. Performers this year include Miss Jen’s Dance Studio, Rise Above Tumblers, Zach Steinhart, Khloe Snakenberg, and local Christian rockers Piercing the Darkness.

“We do this as a part of our community/police relations outreach,” Sigourney Police Chief Allan Glandon said. “Over the course of the year, we go to schools and eat lunch with the kids, talk with them. When they come to National Night Out, they’re not afraid to talk to us in public, and interact in front of their parents. We build a positive relationship with these kids from a young age from the ground up and we see a positive thing with that.”

For Snakenberg, that relationship between youth and law enforcement not only makes National Night Out a fun event for all, the respect they show to officers trickles up from kids to parents.

“For parents, they see their kids at ease and having fun with police and the puts them at ease as well,” Snakenberg said. “We want this night to be about connecting with all the community, and people love coming out each year.”

Both Glandon and Snakenberg acknowledge that this event wouldn’t possible without the Sigourney Police Auxiliary, the “boots on the ground.” The auxiliary helps prepare for National Night Out and sets up booths. There will also be outdoor movie showing of Disney’s “Zootopia” at 8:00 p.m. For more information about National Night Out, please contact Mallary Snakenberg at the Sigourney Police Department by calling 641-622-2345.