Police, community at National Night Out
Aug 20, 2019
Joseph Reyes, 8, holds a three-year-old python named Slither for Javen Rivera, 4, to admire. Photos by: Kate Robinson
Reyes holds the python while Jason Rivera, 2, reaches for it.
Javen Rivera, 4, holds Slinky the ferret while Director of New Bedford Animal Control Emanuel Maciel helps. All of the animals were rescued from cruelty cases.
Gage Kendrick, 9, gets a nuzzle from Slinky the ferret while his mother and Maciel look on.
Ja’siyah Lopes, 1, playing in a toy car at the event.
Leyden Leite, 4, admires the Dartmouth Police motorcycles with his father John.
Dartmouth police were among a host of local law enforcement agencies that took part in the National Night Out community event at Ashley Park in New Bedford on August 20.
The event had been planned for the evening of August 6, but was postponed and rescheduled to afternoon instead of evening due to EEE concerns.
Dartmouth PD brought a handful of motorcycles to the park, which proved popular with the kids.
Families came out to meet representatives of law enforcement agencies from all over the South Coast, look at equipment and vehicles, and play in a bounce house.
There was face painting, a bike raffle, a K-9 demonstration, and a state police helicopter.
Kids could also hold animals rescued from cruelty cases from New Bedford’s animal control.
Four year old Leyden Leite of New Bedford said that his favorite part was seeing the helicopter — although he also liked the motorcycles.
“It’s wonderful,” said Dartmouth’s new Deputy Chief Vincent, who attended the event with several of his colleagues.
“It’s a wonderful day, and a great opportunity to connect with the community, and also with our neighboring departments as well as the state police, the sheriff’s department, and UMass Dartmouth,” he said.
“We come every year,” said DPD officer Steve Canario. “It’s great every year.”
