Orland Park Police Hold National Night Out Celebration Aug. 6

ORLAND PARK, IL — The Orland Park Police Department will join law enforcement agencies across the country August 6 and host the village's annual National Night Out Celebration at the Orland Park Village Center.

The day begins with a free luncheon for village seniors. The Orland Park's National Night Out festivities will be held from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. Attendees will be able to meet members of Orland Park's bike patrol unit, traffic and motor cycle units, DARE and school resource officers as well as other first responders.

The Illinois National Guard will fly in a UH-72 Lakota helicopter for the event and attendees will be able to tour the aircraft on-site.

Orland Park's other festivities include face painters, a bounce house and an educational reptile show. Orland Park businesses will host booths with prizes, giveaways, coupons and safety related information.

Maverick, the Orland Park Police Department’s newest K-9 Officer will be honored in a special badge pinning ceremony celebrating his addition to the department’s K-9 unit. The ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. during the National Night Out event.

This year’s program also includes a bike rodeo offering bike and helmet safety checks, a bicycle agility course and the ability to register bicycles with the police department for free. Parents are encouraged to bring their children’s bikes to the village center for the rodeo.

Pro-Shred of Orland Park also will return to the Village Center that night from 5 to 6 p.m., offering free shredding for residents with each limited to 100 pounds of documents. Residents are encouraged to shred needed personal documents with their names, addresses and personal information to prevent identity theft.

Reservations for the department’s National Night Out Senior Luncheon are required by are Fri., July 26. It will begin at noon at the Orland Park Civic Center at 14750 South Ravinia Avenue.

Attendees must be Village of Orland Park residents for the event that includes a safety presentation tailored for seniors. Call 708-364-4929 to make reservations for the luncheon, leaving the names and phone numbers of attending village seniors.

The Orland Park Police Department has participated in National Night Out Against Crime for more than 25 years. The event was created in 1984 by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide group that promotes community based crime prevention activities.

This year’s event is sponsored in part by Mazda of Orland Park.

Tickets will be provided to guests for a free hot dog provided by Joey’s Red Hots of Orland Park.

Questions about Orland Park’s National Night Out may be directed to Sergeant Wayne Lee at the Orland Park Police Department at 708-349-8116.