National Night Out returns to TAMUK
Police and fire vehicles converged at College Hall last week, not for an emergency, but to get to know the community.
National Night Out, an annual event, was held on campus on Oct. 5.
The law enforcement agents attending National Night Out were from Kingsville’s police and fire departments, as well as agents from Texas Parks and Wildlife, Border Patrol, Texas Rangers and Kleberg County Sheriff’s Department.
“Night Out is a community awareness event,” Kingsville Fire Department Lt. David Guerrera said. “We speak with the public, interact with the people. We hold them in big public places with lots of people. We hope to spread awareness about increasing trust in the community. We want the people to know they can count on us. We do this every year. I’ve been attending these every year since I first became a fireman, so I’ve done Night Out about 12 times.”
Beginning at 5 p.m, they assisted Kingsville citizens in setting up tents corresponding to a law enforcement agency, and prepared food to interact with the locals. Several of these organizations also brought along vehicles, such as boats, fire trucks or armored vehicles as part of the displays. They spoke with local Kingsville residents, handed out food, gave out contact information and had a dj playing music throughout the duration of the event.
“Night Out is actually what helped me get into law enforcement,” Kleberg Sheriff’s Deputy Rachel Cavazos said. “The guys I spoke with then are my colleagues now. I still go to Kingsville, and I’ve personally met four officers and deputies when they were Kingsville students asking me questions on Night Out.”
Around a dozen booths occupied by more than 50 law enforcement agents spent the event answering questions, describing their responsibilities, discussing their jobs, and offering advice to any interested students seeking a career in law enforcement. Among the local citizens were Kingsville students and families, who were the primary targets of National Night Out. At its peak, the streets were crowded with more than 100 people.
“We had a very good turn out this year,” Texas Parks and Wildlife Agent Ryan Cobb said. “We had a really difficult time these last couple of years, but this year it was much better than expected. We’re hoping to get a similar turnout going forward into the future, and hopefully with the same reception. Our job is to inspire truth and faith from the community, and to show that we’re human.”