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Cannon, local area cops host National Night Out

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Gloria Wilson
  • 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Law enforcement officials from various agencies, to include base security forces Airmen, teamed up for National Night Out Aug. 4 at Green Acres Park in Clovis.

National Night Out is designed to heighten crime prevention awareness, generate support and participation in local anticrime programs, as well as strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships. It is also a way to send a message to criminals, letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

"Preventing crime is a community effort," said Capt. Patrick Whitney, Clovis Police Department Support Division. "The team concept is important and people can bring crime down by being involved--they have to take care of each other."

Rich Jones, a crime prevention officer with the 27th Special Operations Security Forces Squadron, said that he agrees that deterring crime is a total effort. Mr. Jones and Airmen from 27 SOSFS volunteered to do their part in educating the public and assisted in areas that included fingerprinting, a K-9 display, and answering crime prevention questions.

"We had a number of people put a lot into this, but what matters in the end is what people take from it," said Mr. Jones, who, along with other Cannon security force Airmen, helped set up the event. "Our philosophy is crime prevention through education."

To convey that message, representatives from the Clovis Police Department, Curry Country Sheriff's Department, New Mexico State Police and Cannon security forces pooled their resources for the evening event. For the younger attendees, Safety Pup and McGruff the Crime Dog made an appearance, and both children and adults had the opportunity look at squad cars, police motorcycles and various police, medical and fire department gear.

"You could just see the kids' faces light up when they got the chance to sit behind the wheel of a police vehicle and turn on lights and sirens," said Staff Sgt. Marcus Reaves who is assigned to the 27 SOSFS K-9 section. "A lot of them asked questions about the military working dogs we had with us and they seemed to have fun trying on the bite suits we use for training. The bite suit jacket was bigger than some of the kids."

Although there was a lighter side to the event, Capt. Whitney said that burglaries are currently the biggest problem, and that if people shut themselves in their homes instead of being part of the solution, that probably won't change.

To learn more about base Neighborhood Watches, call Tech. Sgt. Andrew Nofzinger (575) 784-6115, 27 SOSFS Police Services or Mr. Jones at (575) 784-4685.

For more information about other Neighborhood Watches and other programs not Cannon specific, contact the Clovis Police Department community relations officer Joshua Parkin at (575) 763-9427 or visit the Web site at http://www.police.cityofclovis.org/index.php/community-programs/neighborhood-watch