Hoover police, fire officials build bridges with community at 2017 National Night Out
Three-year-old Sal Lorino had never talked to a police officer before, but he got that chance tonight.
Sal’s parents, Gaeton and Elizabeth Lorino of Bluff Park, brought him and his 10-month-old sister, Marla, to the city of Hoover’s 2017 National Night Out event at the parking lot of The Grove shopping center off John Hawkins Parkway.
The annual event, part of a nationwide effort led the by the National Association of Town Watch, is designed to promote police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer.
Hoover police Chief Nick Derzis said that, so many times, the only experience people have with law enforcement officers is the “negative stuff.” Tonight was designed to give people an opportunity to interact with police and other public safety personnel in a positive way and see some of the tools they use every day to do their jobs, he said.
The Police Department had its specialty vehicles and equipment on display, including its mobile command unit, special response team tactical vehicle, motorcycles and the dive team boat.
Guests got to meet Charlie, a bomb detection dog, and get a close-up look at the bomb robot, police weapons and tactical equipment.
Numerous other public safety and law enforcement organizations also were on site.
The Hoover Fire Department had two of its ladder trucks and other emergency vehicles there, and the Southern Vintage Fire Apparatus Association brought several older fire trucks for people to see.
Other agencies and organizations that took part in the event included the U.S. Army National Guard, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama, National Association of School Resource Officers, American Legion and American Red Cross.
Sal got to meet several police officers tonight and sit in the driver’s seat of the Hoover Police Department dive team’s boat.
“He loves trucks, fire trucks, tanks, boats. It’s right up his alley,” Elizabeth Lorino said.
But Sal said he liked the motorcycles best. When asked what a police officer’s job is, Sal said it’s “to catch bad guys.”
Derzis said that’s why he got into police work, but that’s only about 5 percent of what a police officer does.
He was pleased with tonight’s turnout, estimating about 5,000 to 6,000 people showed up. “It seems like it gets bigger and better every year,” he said.
Chad and Lindsey Nichols of Ross Bridge took advantage of the opportunity to have child ID kits made for their children, including their children’s names, photographs, fingerprint, physical description and identifying marks in case they ever go missing.
Lindsey Nichols said if something ever happens to one of their children, they’ll have this to give to police immediately to help find their child quickly.
Tonight’s National Night Out event at The Grove also featured food trucks, climbing and play activities for kids, 40 to 50 sports cars and vintage vehicles, and a small vendor display area.