Local police departments host community

Two local police departments hosted community-building events on August 1 called National Night Out.

It was the 40th annual event for the City of Atascadero.

“This event is meant for the police department to connect with all the citizens, and now other departments within our community, whether it be public works, fire department, recreation department, and we get everyone together as a city family and then we get to celebrate with all of our neighbors,” said Joe Allen, the interim police chief for the City of Atascadero. “The neighbors that we have we want them to know one another because that makes the city a safer place to live work and to recreate.”

The Atascadero event was held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Sunken Gardens outside the administration building.

"National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, better places to live," read a flyer promoting the event.

Kids had the opportunity to meet law enforcement members, check out a SWAT armored vehicle and other first-responder vehicles, and play in a bounce house.

The event had numerous sponsors, including Costco, the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce and The Home Depot.

The Morro Bay Police Department also hosted its own National Night Out event at Cloisters Park from 5 to 7 p.m. It, too, was the department's 40th iteration. “It’s just a great experience for the families to get out and get the kids out and have some fun in the bouncy houses and eat some hotdogs of course, meet the community and meet the law enforcement,” said Morro Bay residents Andrew Jacoby, who just recently moved to the area from Malibu.

Visitors had the opportunity to meet law enforcement members here as well. There was a bounce house for kids.