The Morgan Hill community came out in full force Tuesday evening for the 30th anniversary National Night Out event at downtown’s Third Street Promenade, where local police officers, firefighters and first responders were waiting with smiles and handshakes.
“The whole premise of National Night Out is to take back the community,” said MHPD Corporal Carlos Guerrero. “It’s to get the community and the police to join together and take back their community and fight for peace.”
Guerrero, who has been with the local department for four years after spending 14 years on the force in, explained that the National Night Out originated in Texas but is celebrated in municipalities across the country.
“It’s big for the kids to get to know the police, fire and paramedics on a personal level,” continued Guerrero. “Overall, the goal is to get kids to feel comfortable with us and be comfortable talking to us.”
Parent Jenni Wells, of Morgan Hill, had that idea in mind when she brought her son, Jake, 5-and-a-half, to the event, which featured police vehicles, fire engines and ambulances lined up along Third Street. Firefighters and police officers – as well as MHPD’s VIPs from the Citizens Police Academy – handed out sticker badges, law enforcement playing cards and plastic hats.
“He’s big on emergencies. He loves to see the police cars, fire engines and ambulances,” said Wells, as her son climbed into the back of the South County BearCat tactical vehicle. “He’s been in there three times already.”
“I wanna be a soldier,” admitted Jake after jumping out of the black, combat-tested vehicle used by the SWAT unit of officers from Morgan Hill, Gilroy and the Sheriff’s Department. The BearCat was a huge hit with the youngsters at the event.
Zachary Ross, 4, of Morgan Hill, squatted down with his father, Butch Ross, to get a closer look at one of Morgan Hill Fire Department’s brand new, bright red fire engines.
“When I grow up, I want to drive a diesel fire truck,” proclaimed Zachary, face covered in the free ice cream cone he received by police officers handing them out at the event.
“For us, this is about showing the equipment we have available to help them, presenting some safety messages and letting the community know that we’re there for them,” said Battalion Chief Jamie Norton, who came to Morgan Hill with CalFire in January. “The time of an emergency shouldn’t be the first time they meet us.”
Board of Education trustee Claudia Rossi for the Morgan Hill Unified School District has spearheaded an after-school sports program to ensure that’s not the case. During Tuesday’s event, Rossi was presented with a 2013 California Peace Award for her tireless work “as a community organizer advocating for at-risk youth and disabled students.”
This past school year, Rossi – one of only five recipients this year within the 30th California State Assembly District bestowed with the honor – joined forces with the MHPD and community leaders to offer the bi-weekly program. It transports Britton Middle School students to the Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Complex on Condit Road to get together and build relationships that may not have happened otherwise.
“I was deeply moved (upon being selected), and the first thing I thought was I happen to have the good fortune of living in a community that makes projects that I’m engaged in possible,” said Rossi, mentioning social services agency Community Solutions and MHPD officers Shane Palsgrove and Mike Nelson. “Morgan Hill is a place where a mother of two can go out and make things happen.”
Members of the MHUSD Board of Education, including Bob Benevento and Shelle Thomas, as well as interim Superintendent Steven Betando were on hand to support Rossi. She brought her to children, Sophia and Jeffrey to the event as well.
“I feel that the more people speak to each other the less likely they will yell at each other,” explained Rossi, whose ultimate goal with the after-school program is building “mutual respect and communication” between residents, law enforcement and community leaders. “If you feel that you are being heard, you’re less likely to yell and raise your voice in anger.”
It was all wide smiles and friendly exchanges at the National Night Out, which included face painting and balloon swords by the Morgan Hill Youth Action Council, free giveaways from Target employees, pictures on a police motorcycle and an inside-look at all the emergency response vehicles.
“We just wanted to come meet all the police officers and the members of the new fire department,” said parent Ryan Dillard, who moved to Morgan Hill from Campbell last year with his wife, Jaime, and two young boys, Nathan, 4, and Andrew, 2. “(Events like this) is a big part of what drew us to Morgan Hill. It really has that small-town feel.”
