By Mary O’KEEFE

Crescenta Valley and Glendale law enforcement will be out in force doing something they both enjoy doing – meeting with the community during National Night Out (NNO) on Tuesday, Aug. 1.

“This is a time when we can meet [community members] without there being a victim or crime,” said Sgt. Robert William, Glendale Police Dept. spokesman.

NNO began in 1984 and is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. It began as a way to get community members and emergency responders, including law enforcement and fire personnel, to meet and talk to each other.

William added that often when officers meet with the public it is during some of the worst times of a person’s life, either during an arrest or being a victim of a crime or accident. At NNO, the public has an opportunity to meet officers on a more personal basis and in a calmer setting.

In Glendale, NNO events are located in specific neighborhoods where officers and firefighters visit.

“We have several officers, Chief [Robert] Castro and city council [members] who go to the neighborhoods,” William said.

There are so many local events planned that it is difficult to have someone at every event; however, they try to get to all of them.

The neighborhoods celebrate in a variety of ways, from holding a large carnival-style event to having an old fashioned potluck.

Crescenta Valley and La Cañada recognize the night in a different way. For the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept./Crescenta Valley Station, NNO is held at the Briggs Avenue station.

For the new captain at the CV Station, Christopher Blasnek, NNO is a time to bridge the gap between the community and law enforcement.

“We are having an open house and barbecue,” Blasnek said.

There will also be booths featuring local organizations like the La Cañada and CV chambers of commerce.

“[The fire department] will be there as will [California Highway Patrol]. Wells Fargo will be there with information on fraud and New York Life [will have] its kid fingerprint [program],” said community Deputy Cynthia Gonzales.

After printing, parents are given a card with their child’s fingerprints to keep on file in case the unimaginable occurs and the child is lost.

Montrose Search and Rescue will be represented and detectives and deputies will be on hand to answer questions from subjects ranging from crime in the area to what their jobs entail.

There will also be information concerning the LASD Explorer program.

“[NNO] helps the community to get to know who we are and what our station is all about. We are part of the community; we don’t just show up to take people to jail. There is a whole other side to law enforcement,” Gonzales said.

She added that some people are nervous or afraid to meet or speak with officers, especially lately with some fearing deportation.

“If they want to come and ask questions, they can talk to me, other deputies or the captain who will be here the whole time,” Gonzales said.

NNO is also a time for the station’s open house. The CV Station’s remodeling project is not quite completed but many areas are ready to see, like the new dispatch center and custody facility.

“I know some are curious to see what the station looks like,” Blasnek said.

At its foundation, NNO is a night for asking questions of law enforcement personnel to find out about crime in local neighborhoods and to find out how residents and deputies and officers can work together to make communities safer.

NNO is on Aug. 1 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The CV Sheriff’s Station is located at 4554 N. Briggs Ave., La Crescenta. To find out what Glendale neighborhoods are participating visit http://tinyurl.com/ycvsao7f.

  Mary Okeefe