 National Night Out gives the community an opportunity to forge relationships with law enforcement, and it's designated on the first Tuesday in August. Haiti Clowder shows us how Bemidji is participating in the festivities. It's the first Tuesday in August, and it's time for a party. Thousands of cities across the nation are celebrating National Night Out, including Bemidji at St. Mark's Lutheran Church. It's all about building community relationships between the people and the police and promoting just peace and safety in our community. Local officials from the Fire, Police and Sheriff's Department made their presence known. The gathering also allows the community to meet law enforcement face-to-face on a non-confrontational level. They are the people we represent. They're the people we're called to help. They're the people we're here to serve. So it's really important that they know us on a personal level. For Officer Kerrigan, it's the moments shared with the young kids that she appreciates. It's nice to know that they're able to come talk to me and that we have a good relationship and they're not scared of police because that's not what we're looking for. This is the third annual National Night Out Shindig at St. Mark's, and Amanda Nelson was here last year. She's with her family and enjoyed the free food, fun and entertainment, but says building those relationships with law enforcement is key. It's always nice to see them out, get good publicity. Seeing them out here is nice to build relationships with the little ones. Amanda's son, Alex, spoke with police officers and sat in the front seat of a squad car. He aspires to be a police officer one day because... They help people. After enjoying live music and playing some games, it was time to get serious with safety. There was also a canine demonstration featuring Mack, a dual-purpose dog, trained to locate drugs and apprehend suspects. It's really nice for us to come out here and show the community and all the different people that donate it to make our dogs happen, you know, what our dogs do and how they've been trained and kind of give back to them. These newfound police and community partnerships can help make the neighborhood safer for everyone. In Bemidji, Haiti Clotter, Lakeland News. And there was also a boat safety demonstration as well as a grand prize drawn. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.