Community connects with public safety teams through National Night Out (2024)

Local communities hosted National Night Out events on Tuesday, as residents spent an evening with first responders in a family-friendly and educational experience.

The gatherings showcased cities’ departmental capabilities in public safety, some taking to the skies with drones and others to the water with a rescue vessel.

Laguna Beach deployed Wave Watch, its marine safety boat, for the sunset demonstration off Main Beach. The program was recently brought back ahead of this summer after a 30-year hiatus.

Lifeguards from the marine safety department perform a mock rescue from the Wave Watch rescue vessel during National Night Out activities in Laguna Beach.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“It was just a great opportunity for staff to meet the public and for them to just ask questions that they might not normally ask because you get that one-on-one time with the community,” Laguna Beach Marine Safety Chief Kai Bond said. “It’s really cool to be able to bring the apparatus out. Just for the marine safety side, we had lots of kids on our rescue watercraft. They were able to get on it, take pictures with their brothers and sisters.”

Hundreds of people turned up to meet public safety officials at Fountain Valley Sports Park, where everyone from Love Bradley, currently serving as Miss Fountain Valley, to the city’s interim police chief, Mike Ishii, were in attendance.

Ishii, who retired as the police chief of Hawthorne in December 2022, was seen making the rounds to introduce himself to community members and staff. He began working in his new post on Monday, city officials said.

Park Ranger Aureliano Becerra hands out ranger hats to youngsters Benjamin and Matthew, from left, in Laguna Beach on Tuesday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

The crowd formed a wide circle for a canine demonstration, where a crime-fighting dog sniffed out contraband and took a bite out of a heavily padded officer playing the part of an uncooperative suspect.

Fountain Valley Police Sgt. Bill Hughes said that canines help bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community, but they also provide another layer of safety.

“I would submit to you that it is safer for us to use a canine when searching for outstanding suspects in serious crimes because there is only one use of force option,” Hughes said. “A dog can’t be deadly force, so it’s safer for the public, it’s safer for the officers, it’s a safer environment because we’re not putting ourselves in harm’s way, and ultimately, it’s safer for the suspect too.”

Officer Anthony Clements, among the first two pilots for the drone program for Fountain Valley, said four additional officers have been selected to begin training to fly the unmanned aircraft systems. A couple of drones were being flown over the demonstration by Sgt. Brian Mosher and Clements.

Betty Guevara, Samantha Levesque, Lauren Jimenez, Griselda Aguirre, and Jennifer Ramos, from left, of Be Well Orange County, greet visitors during National Night Out activities at Main Beach Park in Laguna Beach on Tuesday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Across the events, police and fire departments were joined by other responders such as homeless outreach services and community emergency response teams.

Costa Mesa held its National Night Out festivities at Lions Park.

“It’s just fun to see little kids light up,” Costa Mesa Dept. Police Chief Joyce LaPointe said. “We had several kids that were dressed up in police uniforms, little boys and little girls who aspire to be, maybe, caretakers at some point in their lives, talking to the parents.

Police Chief Jeff Calvert chats with guests during National Night Out activities at Main Beach Park in Laguna Beach on Tuesday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

The interactions often led to interesting conversations, from a diverse workforce to different skills one could need on the job.

“There’s always, ‘What do you do in this situation,’ or, ‘How do you handle this,’ or, ‘What’s it like to be an officer as a woman?’ LaPointe said. “Then the ones that want to get into specialties, they want to talk to our special weapons and tactics team, or they want to talk to our canine officers.”

Newport Beach held its event at Bonita Canyon Sports Park, where attendees had the opportunity to shake paws with McGruff the Crime Dog and see members of law enforcement ride horseback.

Huntington Beach plans to have its Night Out event on Thursday. It will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Huntington Beach Police Department and Civic Center Plaza.

Youngsters look out the high window of Laguna Beach fire engine 302 during National Night Out activities on Tuesday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)