By Mary O’KEEFE

There was a lot for families to do, and learn, at Glendale Police Dept.’s Open House and Touch a Truck event on Saturday, Oct. 19.

All types of trucks and vehicles from the City of Glendale’s Public Works were lined up to explore – from motorcycles to an airship. And of course the Glendale Fire Dept. was also well represented. Kids, like 2-year-old Arlo Foodman, wearing plastic fire helmets, climbed into the cab of the fire engines and pretended they were driving to an emergency.

Although the Touch a Truck portion of the open house was primarily aimed at kids, parents appeared to love the vehicles just as much as the children.

There wasn’t one pop-up station that didn’t draw a line. Kids also got to go inside a school bus and climb a rock wall supplied by Glendale Parks and Recreation.

Though the trucks were a big hit inside the GPD community room was just as crowded with people who went from table to table to talk to the officers and detectives. Some of the units represented at the event included financial crimes, investigative analyst, assaults and burglary/robbery. There was a big display by the Verdugo Regional Crime Lab where kids, and adults, learned about fingerprinting and DNA analysis.

GPD’s facility dog, Brisket, was also on hand to receive pets and hugs by just about everyone who walked by.