Hoover police, fire departments build bridges with 2023 National Night Out

Hundreds of people attended the National Night Out event put on by the Hoover police and fire departments in the Belk parking lot at the Riverchase Galleria Tuesday night.

People in the community got a chance to meet some of the police and fire specialty teams, such as the special response team, bomb unit, canine unit, dive team, drone operators, motorcycle unit and hazardous materials unit and get a close-up look at some of their equipment.

Other law enforcement and public safety agencies were present as well, including the FBI, Drum Enforcement Administration, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshal’s Service and Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. The American Legion, Shelby Humane, American Red Cross and Hoover Cop Stop groups also had representatives present.

There were at least eight food trucks on the scene, as well as music, a car show, Euro bungee jumps and inflatable kids’ activities.

The event was part of a nationwide effort designed to promote partnerships between police departments and the community, as well as neighborhood camaraderie.

Kyle and Hallie Anderson of Hoover came and brought their children. Kyle Anderson said his kindergartner, Maggie, was especially excited because she has already developed relationships with the school resource officer at South Shades Crest Elementary, whom the students call "Officer Tana Banana," and the firefighters who have visited there.

Anderson said he, too, was impressed with all the equipment the departments have these days. “When I was a kid, they didn’t have any of this stuff,” he said. “This is awesome.”

Bibb and Kasandra Cooks, Tiffany Brown and their children, all of Birmingham, were shopping at the Galleria and decided to check out the event as well. Bibb Cooks said his kids liked trying on the special response team vests, and his 11-year-old, Kendall Cooks, enjoyed talking with the Hoover Police Explorers and is thinking about trying out the program in the future.

Sobia Naqi and Ammara Barbar, Pakistani natives who now live in Hoover’s Trace Crossings community, said they came with their kids because they were looking for a fun spring event to attend. Naqi said she likes dogs and wanted to see the K9 unit, too. She would like to see more community events like this in Hoover, she said.

This was Hoover’s first National Night Out event since 2019.