LIBERTY, MO — On Tuesday, the Clay County Sheriff's Office and Liberty Police Department connected with their community during the "National Night Out" event.
Sarah Boyd, public relations manager with the Clay County Sheriff's Office, says law enforcement is getting to know its community through conversation and these type of events.
At the event Tuesday night, the community was able to enjoy attractions such as snow cones, cotton candy, bounce houses, petting zoos and more.
“So the bouncy houses bring people here, but what we really want to happen is those conversations,” Boyd said.
Through the event, law enforcement is hoping to open the door of building trust within their community.
“The people from the sheriff's office and from the Liberty Police Department have no assignment tonight other than to go around and talk to people,” Boyd said. “We’re suburban, and parts of the county are rural areas, but we investigate plenty of crime. So there is plenty of stuff that happens and we want everyone to know that we are here for them and to call us."
Jtionna Hobby says she is teaching her son to not he afraid of police.
“Not all police are bad, not all police are good, so it’s not good to judge a book by its cover,” Hobby said.
Taylor Harmon, a father, says he thinks it's important for the police and law enforcement to create a good relationship with one another.
“It’s just a friendly face that you can go to for any reason at all," Harmon said. "To talk to them, or just to see how the day is going, as much as they want to see how your day is going.”
Justdina Edwards says that close connection with police is important in smaller communities like Liberty in order to make the community a bright place for all to enjoy
“We’re a close-knit community, and they want to know the ones they are serving, and we want to know the ones that are serving us,” Edwards said.
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