Black Mountain Police Department to host National Night Out

Community outreach initiative to feature food trucks, bounce house and K-9 demonstrations

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
July 27, 2022

Black Mountain Police Chief Steve Parker and officers from the department will host National Night Out, on Aug. 2. The event will feature live music, food trucks and a bounce house. Photo by Fred McCormick

A nationwide campaign promoting partnerships between local law enforcement and the communities they serve is coming to Black Mountain, from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 2. 

National Night Out, hosted by the Black Mountain Police Department, will feature a variety of family-friendly activities. The event will take place in front of the station, along Honeycutt Street, which will be closed to traffic. 

Two food trucks, Cream Works and Cecilia’s Kitchen, will attend the free event, which will include sno-balls, a bounce house for children and demonstrations featuring BMPD K-9 officer, Cayman. Tours of the station and live music, performed by Jason Whitaker, will also be featured in the National Night Out gathering. 

“We will also be selling t-shirts, and 100% of the money from those will support the Special Olympics,” said BMPD Chief Steve Parker, who will be attending the event with many of the officers from the department. 

The casual atmosphere of the gathering offers citizens a unique opportunity to interact with local police, according to the chief. 

“This is a way to bring the citizens and law enforcement together, and continue building a trusting relationship,” Parker said. “For us, it’s a chance to host something for the people we serve, as opposed to just attending events in the community.”

The department is encouraging local residents to “come out and have a good time,” he added. 

“We’ll have a police car and a fire truck out there, and people will have a chance to meet Cayman, our K-9,” Parker said. “The real goal is interaction, and we’re all looking forward to enjoying the evening with the community.”

National Night Out, sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch in the U.S., traditionally held on the first Tuesday of every August. The campaign, launched in 1984, involves thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country, including more than 100 in N.C.