Amid contentious relations between some communities and police coast-to-coast, National Night Out brings to the table a community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships.
After being rescheduled last week due to rain, the Cottonwood Police Department’s National Night Out moved forward on Oct. 12.
“Last year, obviously, we didn’t do anything because, well, it was a year of wackiness with COVID,” Cottonwood Chief of Police Stephen Gesell said. “The year prior to that, we got hit with a massive storm.”
According to Cottonwood police officer Chad Sinn, attendance is down compared to years past, which he said is probably due to the last minute rescheduling of the event and other factors like COVID-19 and fall break starting for local schools.
Although attendance may have been less than in other years, a bustling crowd of families and civil servants enjoyed free hot dogs and hamburgers, and local businesses and organizations handed out merchandise and shared resources with the community.
Guardian Air, much to the excitement of onlookers, landed a helicopter in the park about halfway through the event, blowing autumn leaves through the vendor booths.
Among the police and SWAT showcases were Taser demonstrations, munitions demonstrations where officers set off smoke bombs and flashbangs, a drunk driving demonstration where children could wear goggles that simulate drunk vision while attempting to maneuver four-wheeled bicycles through sets of cones.
Heather Braun attended the event with her son, Riley Cushman, a 13-year-old student starting high school next year.
“There’s lots of good resources for the kids,” Braun said. “The law enforcement around here are great …. I don’t have any family in law enforcement, but I have a son who wants to be in law enforcement, so this [National Night Out] is good.”
Cushman, who said he wants to be either an EMT or police officer, may be able to get an early start next year when he begins high school by joining the Cottonwood Police Cadet program, focused on training youths ages 14 to 18.
Shyann Hardy, a 15- year-old attending Mingus Union High School, is a passionate member of the Cottonwood Police Cadet Program.
“I saw the heroes that we have in Cottonwood …. I really want to be like that and I was super excited,” Hardy said. “Everyone thinks police are horrible right now … but our program is just girls right now, and it’s awesome to see a bunch of girls come out.”
The Valley Academy for Career and Technology Education is another way for students to get even more hands-on and specialized training in law enforcement.
Jennifer Choate is a former police officer who swore she would never be a teacher. Now, she is the law enforcement instructor for VACTE.
“This ye ar, we have 12 [students] from Mingus, Camp Verde and Sedona,” Choate said. “They learn what it’s going to be like to be a cop …. I do it similar to what it would be like for them to go through the academy.
“Through VACTE, kids learn firearms training, defense tactics, physical training and state code, Choate said, and there is a separate program offering classes in fire science.”
Throughout the event, officers handed out and posed with moose stuffed animals. A peculiar site to see at first, this tradition is part of a movement started by Tommy Hatcher at Moose International, an organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children, seniors and community members.
“[It started because] there was a little girl that was molested …. They were trying to get her to tell her story, and she wouldn’t talk to anybody,” said Cheri Marx, a member of Moose International since 2006. “So they put her in a room, they gave her a moose and she told the moose the whole story. It was taped and held up in court. So that’s why we give these to the police officers and first responders.”
Marx went on to describe another account, where a child was being air-evaced from Cottonwood to Phoenix and wouldn’t let medical professionals give him an IV, so they gave an IV to Tommy Moose first — named after Tommy Hatcher. Upon seeing Tommy Moose get the IV, he let them do the IV for him as well.
National Night Out was a success in the eyes of community members and families who want to feel safe and beat crime in the area.
“I think Cottonwood needs to do this more often,” said Jaysi Motta, as she wrangled her excited kids out of the event, “It just brings the community together in a great way.”
National Night Out began in 1984 as an effort to create camaraderie between local communities and law enforcement. Since then, the event has grown to include 16,000 communities nationwide, including 34 cities in Arizona.
