The Newton community came together Tuesday night for National Night Out, hosted by the Newton Police Department at Captain John Ryan Memorial Park, adjacent to Police Headquarters. Newton Police Lt. Amanda Henrickson explained, “The night is a national community outreach initiative all around the country where police departments all choose the first Tuesday to come together with their communities.” According to the national event website, the event “enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community… and provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.”
Newton Police Superintendent George McMains commented, “We’ve done this the past 3 or 4 years, and it seems like we get a bigger group of people every year; I don’t know where we are going to do it next year, but maybe we need a bigger venue.”
Asked whether the department’s Community Relations K-9 Officer Leo may be playing a role in the increasing popularity, McMains conceded, “Leo definitely helps; whenever they ask ‘Hey, where’s Justin?’ they don’t really want to see Justin [Officer Justin Lau, Leo’s trainer]; they want to see Leo. We partner with Parks, Recreation and Culture department, and it’s great. We have Metro-LEC, Lasell Police, and other agencies here as well. It’s a great night.”
Leo’s cousin Polly also made an appearance at the event. Polly and Leo were trained by Golden Opportunities for Independence in Walpole.
Photos from the night are available full-sized as a photo gallery or a slide show.