Over 350 town residents drove, biked or walked from home for a fun time and a hearty picnic at the Shoe Town Field on Tuesday.
The occasion was the South Berwick Police Department’s observance of National Night Out, an annual event across the country that promotes community policing by letting people interact with officers in an informal, friendly setting.
Early on the rainy morning of Aug. 6, the Police Department added “rain or shine” to its National Night Out post on Facebook. A few hours later the rain let up, and volunteers arrived at the Shoe Town Field behind the Fire Station to set up charcoal grills and rows of tables for the evening’s meal of burgers and dogs, chips and beverages.
Fire engines, blue lights flashing, and an inflatable boat were positioned into spaces outside the fire hall doors, while polished police cruisers were parked along the lot’s perimeter.
A big red, blue and yellow bouncy house rose up in a back corner next to face painting tables just in time, as people from the community, many of them young families, started arriving in force. Children lined up to jump in the bouncy house, six at a time, and climbed into the fire trucks, perching in the driver’s seat, ready to be firefighters for the day.
Fascinated youngsters mounted narrow stairs to enter the confines of the fierce-looking mine-resistant ambush-protected tactical vehicle provided by the Southern Maine Special Response team, and checked out the lifesaving gear in open police cars.
An occasional siren screeched while smoke from the “burning” mobile fire prevention unit, commonly called the smoke house, drew curious children inside, practicing stop, drop and crawl.
Chief David Ruger, named South Berwick police chief in 2021, was pleased with the weather and the turnout for the National Night Out event, last held locally in 2016.
“We watched the weather all day, and we were ready to move into the fire station if we had to. It’s been a great experience to meet some new folks,” Ruger said, grinning as kids ran circles around him.
Reserve Police Officer Jeff Pelkey, a 40-year veteran of the department, was glad to see this year’s Night Out event held in South Berwick again after a lapse of eight years.
“It’s nice to have this in our town,” said Pelkey. “I’ve been a police officer for a long time, and I think Chief Ruger is doing an amazing job bringing the community together.”
The department was proud to be part of an event “all across the country tonight” to promote police and community partnerships, said Police Lt. Scott Stephens, who commended the Police and Fire Department associations for funding the food and games. Wendy Morrison, the department’s operation specialist, was the lead organizer of the event.
