Annual National Night Out returns

A crowd of Freeport residents gathered in Bishop Frank O. White Park on Aug. 1 to get to know law enforcement officers and first responders at the much-anticipated return of National Night Out.

More than 11,000 municipalities across the country take part in the four-decade-old event each summer. It was created to raise public awareness of the issues of crime and gang activity, which loom over countless neighborhoods, and how residents, police and other first responders can cooperate to mitigate them. National Night Out brings together young people, parents, government officials and law enforcement organizations in the interest of building mutual trust as well as resilient, closely knit communities in a fun and welcoming atmosphere.

The hosts of this year’s event included Mayor Robert Kennedy, Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé and members of the Freeport Police Department. They spoke about promoting strong community partnerships between law enforcement and residents, and commended Nassau County for consistently being recognized as one of the safest counties in the United States, thanks to the efforts of local police and fire departments.

Kennedy emphasized the importance of those partnerships. “Thank you to the police officers who love coming out and meeting people,” he said. “I’m glad that you’re here. Thank you so much for all you do.”

Police Chief Michael Smith highlighted the positive impact the event has on the relationship between the department and residents. He emphasized the force’s commitment to hiring local people, and to building a diverse and inclusive department.

“I hope everyone knows we hire residents first from Freeport,” Smith said. “That’s why we have the most diversified police department in New York state. And I encourage you to contact your friends, relatives — anyone you know — and encourage them to take (the police) test. They can make a change in this village, change someone’s life in a positive way, and they’ll remember that forever.

“So that’s what this meeting is all about tonight.”

“It’s wonderful to see how Freeport comes together year after year to celebrate the outstanding contributions that our law enforcement professionals make toward serving and protecting the community,” Mulé said.

“I am tremendously grateful to the Freeport Police Department, the Nassau County Police Department, and all of our first responders for everything they do to make this county the safest of its size in America.”

“Do you know why Nassau County is voted year after year as the safest county in the United States?” state Sen. Kevin Thomas asked the crowd.

“It’s because we have the best police departments, and Freeport’s is one of the finest. And thank you to the Freeport Fire Department as well for being the bravest, and making sure they take care of all of us.”

A variety of local sponsors and supporters, many of them local businesses, made the event possible. Attendees enjoyed free food and entertainment as well as drawings for raffle prizes, and strolled among booths manned by representatives of a wide range of organizations. A Mount Sinai South Nassau “Vaxmobile” offered Covid-19 immunizations.

Barbara Epstein, a member of the League of Women Voters, was on hand, highlighting the organization’s focus on educating voters and encouraging voter registration, and the crucial importance of local elections. Billy Gonyou and Reyna Felix, representing Long Island Cares, shared details of the food bank’s essential mission to help those facing food insecurity.

Raquel Novaya, the program coordinator of the Family & Children’s Association’s Roosevelt Prevention Coalition, discussed the mission of her organization, which serves vulnerable communities in Nassau and Suffolk counties and focuses on reducing drug and alcohol use among young people in Roosevelt and the surrounding area.

Nurses from Mount Sinai South Nassau were on-site, checking willing attendees’ blood pressure, offering diabetes risk assessments, taking body- mass-index measurements, and giving CPR demonstrations.

The South Shore Child Guidance Center, an outpatient mental health clinic licensed by the state Office of Mental Health, also had a booth.

The center has been supporting Nassau County children of all ages and families since 1959, and has become a fixture in Freeport.

“We’re here just to let everyone in the community know what we’re all about,” the center’s president, Tom Hopkins, said. “We’ve been in Freeport 65 years or so, and nobody knows about us. We’re the best kept secret.”

Given the crowd roaming Bishop Frank O. White Park as the sun set on yet another successful National Night Out, there was no way Hopkins would have been able to keep his organization