Scene Around: Fair Haven Cops on a ‘Night Out’

Everyone deserves a night out. And, sometimes, like every first Tuesday in August, that involves the police.

This year was no exception in Fair Haven. It’s called National Night Out.

It started, across the country, as an ode to local police by community residents just keeping their porch lights lit and sitting in front of their homes.

It evolved into an actual event in 1984 that was built on the premise that “the best way to build a safer community is to know your neighbors and your surroundings,” former U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson says on the NNO website. That encapsulates the feeling. And that’s always been the case in Fair Haven.

The borough is a 1.6-square-mile peninsula community where police have always had a strong reputation for making it their business to know the residents — and very well. That’s evidenced by many a story told over the years about that relationship between residents and police. There are usually a lot of waves from police patrol cars and sometimes a stop just to say “Hi.” In Fair Haven, there’s always been a high comfort level among police and neighbors.

Tuesday night was more of that magnified as boys in blue gathered to mingle with residents and give them a little glimpse into what the work to protect and serve their community is all about. Call it a “getting to know you even better” night. Of course, some play is involved for the kids. And everyone gets a chance to look inside police and emergency vehicles and chat with all involved. But, mostly, it’s a night to connect. And an awful lot of connecting between police and the community in Fair Haven has been going on for a very long time.

Night Out just brings it all to the forefront more with some added treats for the little ones and all ages, really. The two photos of cops — captured by the other emergency responders and great friends to the community on the scene, the Fair Haven Fire Department volunteers — show that with the photo bombs.

Kids wrestling over a basketball, an avid young volunteer helping out and a ham of a volunteer chiming in. Community connection personified. That’s what it’s all about — and not just on one night in Fair Haven.

Yes, everyone deserves a night out — with some cops, firemen and first aid folks. Have you thanked an emergency responder today? Stopped them just to say “Hi?”

Oh, and the good guys in blue pictured are, of course, Patrolmen Langan and Robinson (top) and Cpl. John Koetzner and Sgt. Steven Schneider (below).

— Photos/FHFD Media