Mokena PD Going Big With First Ever National Night Out Tuesday

MOKENA, IL — The Mokena Police Department is scheduled to participate in National Night Out Tuesday for the first time in the history of the Police Department.

The free event is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Yunker Farm, 10824 W. LaPorte Road in Mokena.

Families are invited out to meet some of Mokena's finest while enjoying a wide variety of games, activities, presentations, live music and more.

"This is the [38th] year of National Night Out, and it's Mokena's first ever. So, we're trying to make it bigger so that our first time is something that draws people back," said Mokena Police Crime Prevention Officer Tom Czarnecki.

And "bigger" it shall be.

The Mokena Police Department will put on a drone presentation, the Will County Sheriff's Office will be on hand for a K-9 presentation, there will be an exotic reptiles exhibit for curious children to meet some creepy crawlys and there will be emergency vehicles on hand for a touch-a-truck display, Czarnecki said.

And that's not all.

The Mokena PD will have four — yes, four — bounce houses for children to jump around in. There will also be not one but two live bands performing: The Baked Potatoes and Ryan Hisdale.

Still not enough? Well, there's more.

All children who attend the event will be entered in a free raffle for a chance to win a free bicycle, courtesy of Meijer in Mokena. One boys' bike and one girls' bike will be raffled off, Czarnecki said.

Plus, Mokena businesses are invited to come and set up a free display table, on the condition that the business provide either some kind of handout or game for children. Interested businesses should contact Czarnecki at (708) 479-3912 or by email at tczarnecki@mokenapd.com.

The Mokena Community Park District will also open its Splash Pad for the night, so attendees can take a quick dip there to cool off from all the excitement.

With so much to see and do, attendees will almost certainly work up an appetite, so Mokena PD will be handing out free hot dogs, chips and pop.

"This is something I've wanted to do for many years. And, now that I have the opportunity, I'm trying to go as big as I can," Czarnecki said.

Czarnecki was recently appointed as the crime prevention officer for Mokena PD. He also serves in roles as the D.A.R.E. officer for Mokena's first and fifth graders, his regular patrol duties and his work with Mokena Miracles, which raises money to donate gifts to families in need each year during the holiday season.

National Night Out was always something that Mokena PD has expressed interest in participating in, but it never really got off the ground, Czarnecki said. That is, until now.

National Night Out began in 1984 through a network of approximately 400 communities across 23 states, according to information on the National Association of Town Watch website. Over the last 38 years, the program has grown to include about 16,000 communities across all 50 states, including 126 communities in Illinois.

"[National Night Out] is a great time [for residents] to interact with the officers, get to know their neighbors and friends, a chance for a kid to go home with a bike and just have a lot of fun for free," Czarnecki said.

For more information, contact Mokena Police officer Tom Czarnecki at (708) 479-3912, or email him at tczarnecki@mokenapd.com.