By LILLIAN GLAROS

On August 6, members of the College Park community gathered with police officers, firefighters, elected officials and neighbors for the annual National Night Out at Duvall Field.

Organized by the City of College Park and several neighborhood associations, the local holiday included meetings with local politicians, children’s activities and snacks.

“I think it’s good. … Residents can interact with law enforcement in a different way than just calling for help,” City Manager Kenny Young said. “But it’s not just about law enforcement. It’s also about our firefighters and helping our kids understand that they play an important role in the community.”

National Night Out is a nationwide event created in 1984 to build relationships between communities and police departments through local events, according to the organization’s website.

College Park Mayor Fazlul Kabir said the event helps build trust between law enforcement and community members.

“It’s important to build that trust and bring them closer together,” Kabir said.

Attendees visited booths from the College Park Arts Exchange, Neighbors Helping Neighbors, the College Park Lions Club and the University of Maryland Police Department (UMPD).

Maj. Mike Leadbeter said the UMPD stand allows officers to speak with community members.

“We want to find out what’s troubling them,” said Leadbeter, chief of the department’s Support Services Bureau. “We want to get involved and get to know them, because a community that’s known for public safety is a safer community. That’s just the way it is.”

The District 21 delegation of the Maryland General Assembly was also represented with a booth.

State Senator Jim Rosapepe (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel) said the goal of the delegation’s booth was to connect with people and share information about public safety and access to resources.

“We have all kinds of information about what was going on during the legislative session,” said Rosapepe, who also attended National Night Out in Beltsville. “We have information about public safety issues, we have all kinds of government information, but then people just come to us and ask us questions about things. I talked to a lady who lives in College Park, but she’s having problems with rent increases and she wants to know what programs might help.”

A city-sponsored booth provided visitors with free ice cream cones, popcorn and hot dogs. The local Boy Scouts of America Chapter 298 sold a variety of snacks. A bouncy castle, fire trucks and an ambulance were available for visitors to explore.

Mel Blain, a resident of North College Park, said she enjoys coming to National Night Out every year.

“It’s a nice little neighborhood event that I really appreciate,” said Blain, who has hosted a table for the past few years for her business, Posh Cycling and Fitness.

Several groups attended the event to recruit volunteers. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) was there to find volunteer advocates for foster children.

“You know, we can’t do our work alone,” says Yolanda Johnson, executive director of CASA in Prince George’s County. “So we want to make sure we have a presence here in the county. But I also want the county and the people of the county to understand that there is a need here for volunteer advocates for youth in foster care.”