Community gathers for Wheeling National Night Out
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WHEELING -- Hundreds of visitors, from children to adults, gathered at Wheeling Park on Tuesday evening as the Wheeling Police Department and several community partners hosted the annual National Night Out.
Now in its 43rd year, the event is part of a nationwide campaign to strengthen relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve by promoting police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie.
"It started in the mid-1980s," Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger said. "Law enforcement agencies across the United States do their thing -- a lot of them do it differently."
Schwertfeger said the Wheeling Police Department had already been participating in National Night Out before he joined the department 14 years ago.
"As opposed to going to different neighborhoods and spending 10 or 15 minutes, we do one location for two solid hours, have static displays, bring in some organizations that want to promote what they do -- and we kind of make it a community event all in one location," Schwertfeger said.
The event gives residents an opportunity to interact with law enforcement officers, learn about community policing, view equipment used by officers and take part in hands-on demonstrations.
Displays included the Wheeling Police Department’s drone, UTV and three-wheeled Trikke, a Fatal Vision obstacle course simulator, tactical gear, fingerprinting and other exhibits.
One of the event’s most popular attractions was the department’s K-9 demonstrations.
Cpl. Jason Martin and Officer Patrick Ryan demonstrated the abilities of K-9s Ozzy and Geist. Ozzy is trained in explosive detection, while Geist specializes in narcotics detection. The two are among three active K-9s serving with the department.
During the demonstration, Martin explained how the dogs use their highly developed sense of smell.
"His nose is thousands of times stronger than yours or mine," Martin told a group of children watching Ozzy. "He can smell things down to the microscopic level. They can detect exactly where the odors are coming from -- they use their superior sense of smell."
Martin later donned a bite suit before being apprehended by Geist, who responds only to commands given in German.
Community partners also participated, including the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, Youth Services System Inc., the YWCA of Wheeling, CASA, the U.S. Army, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and several other organizations.
Visitors also learned about anti-crime initiatives, including Neighborhood Watch programs and the Citizens Police Academy.
"It’s always good to get to know the people who we’re protecting, and we’ve said it 100 times -- we can’t do our jobs without the good folks in the community helping us, and vice versa," Wheeling Police Department Deputy Chief Josh Sanders said. "It’s good to have that harmony and to work together."
The event also featured complimentary pizza, popsicles, snacks and drinks.
"It’s become an annual tradition -- people have come to know to look for this the first Tuesday in August," Schwertfeger said. "We really value our community partnerships, and that’s what it’s all about. We’re happy to host this."