A

The Tullahoma Police Department’s third annual National Night Out took place on Oct. 3. Parents and children of the community were invited out to learn not only about the police department, but about other departments, including the fire department, Tennessee Highway Patrol, animal control and Coffee County Rescue Squad.

National Night Out is a nationwide annual campaign where residents have the opportunity to meet local officers and first responders and have an open dialogue about how to make the community safer.

Held at Frazier McEwen Park, children at the event were given the chance to climb inside police vehicles while officers gave them the rundown on their everyday routines. The Rescue Squad also allowed for tours of their vehicles.

Families were given the opportunity to stop at different tents from different departments, as well as Walmart, which was giving out gift bags.

Sgt. Brooke Arthur, organizer of the event said she was pleased with the turnout for the event.

“Tonight is an outreach event,” she said. “We’re trying to get different first responding agencies, community partners and the community to come out just to spend time together, have fun and play games.”

Arthur added that she does the behind the scenes work, and that she’s pleased that the event has gotten “a little bigger each year.”

She also mentioned that children were given the opportunity to dunk officers at a dunking booth, an event which had a long line of children in front of it.

According to the National Association of Town Watch, during its 40 years of National Night Out, 38 million neighbors take part in National Night Out across 17 thousand communities in all 50 states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August (Texas and select areas celebrate on the first Tuesday in October).

For Tennessee, 42 cities and communities participate in National Night Out including Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville, Shelbyville, Tullahoma and Woodbury.

For more about National Night Out, visit the National Association of Town Watch’s website at natw.org.