BY TOM O'NEILL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cheviot and Indian Hill Officers Joe Lally and Nan Bongiani and Cincinnati Lt. Denise Carpenter sing at St. Aloysius Orphanage as part of Most Wanted.
(Saed Hindash photo)
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Police and residents throughout the Tristate stood together Tuesday night, united against crime and armed with their best weapon -- each other.
The annual National Night Out played out locally on lighted front porches, in parks, at schools and on the streets, where police officers and those they protect exchanged perspectives. Fire and rescue workers also participated.
Tom Neusad, 32, of Middletown said he came to Smith Park "for her," watching as his daughter, 3 1/2-year-old Sarah, ran nearby. "The thing, I guess, is an awareness that police and firefighters are good people."
An estimated 30 million Americans and Canadians in 9,000 communities joined them. One of the biggest events locally was at Winton Woods High School in Forest Park, where thousands gathered.
Night Out began, as many nationwide programs do, on the grass-roots level: in the Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion Township in 1984. "The goal was to get the citizens of the community and the police together, to not let the criminals take over," said Lower Merion Police crime prevention officer Pat DeHroatius, who was on the force in '84.
In Bond Hill, a rock 'n' roll band set up camp in the back yard of St. Aloysius orphanage, with children and neighbors treated to music, games and a cookout that lasted into the night.
Entertainment was by the Most Wanted Band, formed by police in 1989 to deliver an anti-drug message.
"This was something that the police suggested to us," said Sharon D. Hill, director of development for St. Aloysius.
"The kids are just loving it. It's just a good (occasion) for neighbors to meet and greet one another."
At Winton Woods, 16-year-old friends Marcus Brown and De'Shon Richardson said police at times overstep their authority. The Mount Healthy High School juniors-to-be are African Americans, but they said much of the friction stems from negative perceptions of age -- not just race.
They also think attitudes toward police might be unfair -- a point Forest Park Police Chief Ken Hughes welcomed.
In Boone County, Walton police and city officials hosted a community cookout at the city park. "Just about every community store has either donated or paid for something, or given some support in some way," said Walton Police Officer Daniel Stephens.
"We're trying to get the community to come together and meet with officers and understand our jobs," Officer Stephens said. "It's also kind of a thank you to the citizens for their support."
The community outreach efforts will continue in Northern Kentucky. On Friday, the Woodburn Watch neighborhood group will sponsor a cookout at 6 p.m. on Woodburn Avenue in Covington, between 16th and 17th streets.
Activities will include a visit from zoo animals, demonstrations involving the fire safety house and the SWAT van, and songs performed by Covington Police Officer Dean Abner.
At 2 p.m. Aug. 16, there will be a neighborhood cookout on Maryland Avenue.
And at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 17, the Pike Patrol Watch neighborhood group is sponsoring games and a visit from the Covington crime van.
Cindy Schroeder contributed to this report.
