Law enforcement, residents come together for National Night Out

By WVUA 23 News Student Reporter Peyton Newman

Family and friends gathered at Annette Shelby Park Tuesday evening to celebrate the 40th annual National Night Out.

National Night Out is an event hosted by local law enforcement agencies with a common goal: to bridge the gap between officers and the community. When normally encountering an officer, the circumstances are typically negative. This event allows the community to be around law enforcement in a fun environment and to mingle casually.

Some agencies represented include: Tuscaloosa Police Department, UAPD, Northport Police Department and Northstar Emergency Services.

National Night Out featured officer-trained animals to meet, activities for children, specialized police equipment to see and tables from local businesses. Attendees were able to meet police dogs, police horses and an officer detective dog mascot.

Chief Deputy Officer for Tuscaloosa Police Department, Sebo Sanders, shares why this event is so crucial for the community.

“We wanna be able to trust, we wanna have a good community,” Sanders said.  “So, when you have the community and law enforcement together, working together, you’re gonna have a great community. And, Tuscaloosa’s one of the greatest communities in America. So, I think, this event just brings us closer and be more effective out in the community.”

The Tuscaloosa Police Department and other law enforcement agencies are looking forward to hosting this again next year.