Police and fire trucks, a marine patrol vessel and a host of city officers and firefighters were stationed at the entrance of the Mercer Island Community and Event Center on the evening of Aug. 6.
It was National Night Out (NNO) time and myriad Island residents attended the community-building and crime-prevention event that featured a meet-and-greet with new police chief Chris Sutter, interactions with police department and Eastside Fire & Rescue employees and welcoming nods for kids to touch or climb in the trucks.
Mercer Island resident Inderjeet Singh joined his daughter at the event, which took place over a three-hour time span both outdoors and inside the center.
“I think it’s a good way to interact with the police on Mercer Island. I believe that they’re doing a good job. We are a small community, so I think it’s always good to have one of these events where as residents you can basically ask them any questions you might have,” said Singh, who inquired about technical aspects of the police vehicles before heading inside to mingle with attendees. His daughter was excited to receive a squishy duck at the event.
Mercer Island Police Department’s crime prevention coordinator and community outreach liaison Cpl. Bobby Jira said the city limited this year’s NNO to six block parties where neighbors connected with each other and officers discussed crime prevention, emergency preparedness and more.
Their big push-out message to residents is, “See something, say something,” while watching out for their neighbors and themselves and not being afraid to immediately call 911 if an emergency arises. Other critical topics are kids not talking to strangers, and how to avoid property crime by locking doors and utilizing cameras and lights. Officers handed out bags to citizens featuring literature regarding crime prevention and emergency preparedness tips.
Jira said that NNO focuses on arming residents with knowledge to help them remain safe and put that into play each day.
“I love these events, because as a police officer you usually get called to somebody’s house when things are going wrong. To come to an event like this where it’s positive first, you get to interact with people where there is nobody in trouble,” he said.
At the centralized community center event, officers delved into the aforementioned topics, including the uptick in fraud cases on the Island and beyond.
On the fraud front, Island police department Public Information Officer Lindsey Tusing said that residents have been reporting a multitude of phone scams. She noted that callers will text or phone the resident and ask for a code to one of their accounts — which has been allegedly compromised — in an attempt to drain its funds. Tusing said for residents to call a trusted family member or non-emergency number before getting duped.
In the crime-prevention realm, one resident asked Tusing at the event if the city was exploring installing video cameras on the Island. It’s not something she’s aware of happening, she said.
While glancing around the room at the community center, Tusing noted that it’s a good sign that the event drew in more people this time out.
“I’m hoping that we can increase community involvement and community engagement in crime prevention, emergency preparedness,” Tusing said. “If everybody who comes to this event leaves here with some bit of information they didn’t have before, then this is worth the energy to get together.”
Eastside Fire & Rescue’s Josh Stalker gives Viki Younger, 3, a National Night Out sticker while her dad Robert watches on Aug. 6 at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center. Andy Nystrom/ staff photo
Mercer Island Police Department trucks and a marine patrol vessel, along with officers and Eastside Fire & Rescue workers, are situated at the entrance of the Mercer Island Community and Event Center on Aug. 6 for National Night Out. Andy Nystrom/ staff photo
