The annual event is will be held Aug. 7 at the municipal complex
Two years ago, Cherry Hill Police Chief William Monaghan met Pastor Ted Winsley at the township’s National Night Out event.
Monaghan said the chance meeting led to Winsley, of the Family Church in Voorhees, becoming the police department’s chaplain. It’s just one example of how National Night Out fosters real partnerships, Monaghan said.
This year’s event will be held Tuesday, Aug. 7, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Cherry Hill Municipal Complex. It will feature free food, music, a police K-9 demonstration, a dunk tank, a large rock wall and a visit from the Phillie Phanatic.
“We’re trying to make it a fun, family carnival-style event,” Monaghan said.
National Night Out has been celebrated in its current form in the township for the past three years after sporadically being held previously, Monaghan said.
The event is being organized by the police department, Cherry Hill Alliance on Alcohol & Drug Abuse and the Cherry Hill Township Recreation Department.
Monaghan said National Night Out is one of his department’s biggest outreach events. Last year, more than 1,000 people showed up. The idea, Monaghan said, is to form bonds with the community and break down barriers.
“This gives us an opportunity to connect outside of a stressful environment,” he said. “It’s fun. It’s carefree.”
Normally, when residents encounter officers, it’s not the best situation, Monaghan added. Maybe they have just been in a car accident or witnessed an assault. Monaghan said National Night Out is an attempt to “level the field” so that residents see police officers outside of that traumatic environment.
“There’s no difference between us and them except when we go to work, we wear a uniform,” he said.
But the uniform, the badge and the cruiser can make people tense up, especially if they are not comfortable interacting with police. The point of National Night Out, Monaghan said, is to build some familiarity.
“We just encourage members of the community to come out,” he added.
For more information on National Night Out, visit www.cherryhill-nj.com, call (856) 488–7868 or email [email protected].
