Phoenixville Celebrates National Night Out

Around a hundred members of the community and a gaggle of its law enforcement and emergency services responders—blue jeans and the boys in blue—gathered at Grace Crossing Community Church last night to celebrate Phoenixville’s iteration of National Night Out.

The nationwide program, celebrated annually on the first Tuesday in August, launched in 1984 with the aim of fostering a closer relationship between communities and their policemen. Phoenixville, which has been celebrating NNO for the last “five or six” years according to Town Watch president Michael Hill, boasted a live band, food, drinks, and activities for kids at this year’s get-together.

“The point is for people to come out and meet the police. To get to know each other,” said Hill as he manned a pizza-stacked table.

Hill added that oftentimes residents, even when they witness overtly criminal activity, are reticent to contact the authorities. An event like this, he said, can ease that unwillingness. It acts as a reminder: the police are here to help.

“If you see something happen now, you might go ‘Oh, I know [the police]. I met them,’” Hill explained. Familiarity, in other words, breeds utilization.

Corporal David Boyer of the came to the event in full uniform. Between turns showing curious kids some of the cooler features of his police cruiser—the siren, camera, etc.—he told Patch the department jumps at any opportunity to ingratiate itself with the citizens they’re charged with protecting.

“We’ll do anything we can to get a better relationship with the community,” said Boyer, who was joined in the parking lot by members of the Phoenixville Fire Department and the dive and rescue team.

Local government was also represented.

“It’s a really nice event that brought the community together,” said borough councilwoman, and National Night Out attendee, Jenn Mayo. “[It’s great] for neighbors to meet and for law enforcement, fire, and dive and rescue to be visible in instances other than in an emergency.”