Community members played games with Homewood Police officers, saw their equipment and toured their squad cars and all-terrain vehicles in Irwin Park on the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 5, as part of National Night Out.
National Night Out is the first Tuesday of every August. National Night Out’s website describes it as an event that “enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement” with about 17,000 participating cities in the United States and 182 in Illinois.
Homewood Police Chief Denise McGrath and Deputy Chief Tom Johnson said National Night Out builds trust between the community and the police by allowing community members to meet officers in a stress-free environment.
Homewood Deputy Police Chief Kelly Strayer plays a game of water balloon toss with local youth. (Nick Ulanowski / H-F Chronicle)
Village Events Manager Marla Youngblood led Homewood officers and kids in an annual water balloon toss. A line of officers stood on one side and a line of kids on the other. They tossed water balloons back and forth. The officer took three steps back after each toss. The last pair whose water balloon didn’t break won the round.
“It’s the best part of the event,” Johnson said of the water balloon toss. “I love interacting with the kids. So, that’s a cool way to do it – and the kids love it.”
Homewood resident Shana Talton attended the event with her son, Willow Elementary School student Karter Moore. Moore sat in the driver’s seat of a Homewood squad car and played with the steering wheel and police siren under the supervision of Officer Eric Bujak.
Sgt. Steve Brandenburger answered questions about a Homewood Police all-terrain vehicle.
“We use it down at Izaak Walton by the lake. If someone’s lost or missing, we can go down and search where a police car can’t get back into that area,” Brandenburger said. “And we use it for a lot of special events down on Martin and Ridge. It’s a little bit easier to maneuver.”
The Homewood Police set up a display table of some of their equipment, including a battering ram, a Halligan bar, crime scene tape and fingerprint lifting tools.
Anew: Building Beyond Violence and Abuse, a Homewood nonprofit organization, had two booths, and one was operated by Lisa Jurgenson and Ryiah Barne. They informed community members about Anew and the services they provide to domestic abuse survivors.
Anew had a spinning wheel. Depending on where it landed after an attendee spun it, Jurgenson and Barne provided different information about topics related to domestic violence and abuse. The information varied depending on whether the attendee was a child, a teenager or an adult.
Todd Maverick was the DJ. Valerie Sehroeder painted the faces of attendees. The village constructed a rock-climbing wall for attendees.
About 15 Jessie White Tumblers members, including kids and adults, performed a gymnastics show led by Coach Jacob Robinson.
The Jessie White Tumblers were founded by former Illinois Secretary of State Jessie White in 1959 and provide free gymnastic training to Chicagoland youth. The Jessie White Foundation helps fund the program.
Village of Homewood Communications Manager Antonia Steinmiller said the Jesse White Tumblers’ performance was “a huge hit,” adding that she’s been watching them perform at parades and festivals since she was a kid.
The Metra Police and the Canadian National Railway Police were also present.
