Classic cars won’t be the only attraction at Barrington’s Cruise Night this Thursday. Barrington police officers will be there from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. offering fun and helpful family activities focused on keeping us safe and preventing crime. It’s all part of the 30th Anniversary Celebration of National Night Out, a campaign for safer communities across the country.
National Night Out is in its 30th year and is designed to heighten crime prevention awareness, generate support for, and participation in local anti-crime programs, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships.
For the second year, police will combine the event with the annual Public Safety Cruise Night in downtown Barrington at the corner of Cook and Station Streets. Bringing the two together attracted record attendance last August.
Here are some of this year’s planned safety & entertainment highlights…
Train Safety
Kids can learn what precautions to take around train tracks through interactive games. Once they have finished the activities, they receive a stamp on their hand and unlimited rides on a trackless train.
Bike Safety
Nurses from Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital also will be on hand to properly fit bike helmets. A Barrington shop, Village CycleSport, will conduct bike-safety checks and police will register bikes in case they are stolen or lost. Additional booths will feature a Distracted Driving Simulation, Drug Awareness information and a special K-9 Performance, always a highlight of the evening.
Digital Fingerprints
The KlaasKids Foundation will return to digitally fingerprint kids. Parents will receive a card with the fingerprint and a photo of their child that they can store in their records.
Fun & Games
There will be plenty of entertainment at the event, too. Bob the DJ will provide great music throughout the evening. There will be drawings for fun prizes, lots of games, a face painter and food and ice cream available for purchase.
But for kids, Police Chief David Dorn says connecting with officers in a laid-back setting may have the most impact. If there is a stressful emergency, their goal is for kids to feel comfortable reaching out to police.
Fore more information about National Night Out, visit natw.org.
