National Night Out: Mount Pleasant police give community insight
Mount Pleasant police National Night Out
The Mount Pleasant Police Department used its National Night Out to invite community members to connect with officers in their neighborhoods.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. - In Madison, protesters asked for police transparency as an encampment was cleared Tuesday. In Mount Pleasant, the police department engaged with members of the community to give them insight into how the department works.
Local perspective:
The Mount Pleasant Police Department used its National Night Out to invite community members to connect with officers in their neighborhoods.
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It was hosted outside the COP House, a home where officers use community-oriented policing to connect and build trust with those who live in Mount Pleasant. There was free food for the community, K-9 and drone demos and many officers getting to know the people they serve.
What they're saying:
One of the officers who helped with the festivities was Officer Fran Ostergaard.
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"We like to step outside and engage with the community, we focus heavily on National Night Out, coffee with a cop, we go to safety events at schools, we engage with school and activities, a lot of our officers engage in that, and it helps build trust with the community," Ostergaard said.
The backstory:
National Night Out is something the department does every year. They started hosting the event soon after the COP House opened in 2015. On Tuesday, they expected as many as 500 to 1,000 people.
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"Our community-oriented policing program also helps us to build trust and interact with businesses, community members and schools to build that trust and transparency with them," Ostergaard said. "With that, we help to establish and beautify life and concerns, and be open and transparent with the public. It’s really built a beautiful bond with our community here in Mount Pleasant."
What's next:
The department is planning on hosting this event in the years to come as well.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Ben Hanson and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Mount Pleasant Police Department and Officer Fran Ostergaard.