<p>Police across the county and nation will dedicate a night next week to meeting local families, and trying to build relationships with the people they serve.</p>
<p>In Franklin, children can swim with a scuba diver from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Greenwood police will be handing out backpacks to students filled with school supplies and Edinburgh police will show residents the equipment their officers use.</p>
<p>Families can snack on hot dogs and will get a chance to dunk their favorite police officer.</p>
<p>Tuesday evening will have the feeling of picnics and camaraderie for communities and police officers as they celebrate National Night Out, where police agencies across the country will be out engaging with the community. Locally, Edinburgh, Greenwood, New Whiteland, Franklin and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office have all planned events to coincide with the national event.</p>
<p>The goal of the event is to build rapport with the public and to show them that police are the people to turn to when you need help, and strengthen the partnership between police officers and the communities they serve.</p>
<p>“It is a day we can get together and meet and greet and let people meet some of our officers and get to know them,” Sheriff Doug Cox said.</p>
<p>The sheriff’s office is teaming up with the Franklin Police Department to have a party in Province Park in Franklin for their event.</p>
<p>The event includes a hot dog dinner, music by the band Jam Box, scuba and K9 demonstrations and a free pool party. The SWAT team and bicycle and horse units will also demonstrate their work, and the sheriff’s office will make free identification tags for students.</p>
<p>“Just to show folks that we can smile, we can laugh, we have a human side,” Cox said.</p>
<p>Most of the other local events will include free food and demonstrations of equipment.</p>
<p>The Greenwood Police Department has partnered with other local businesses and agencies who will be coming to the event, and will be giving out backpacks stuffed with school supplies along with other giveaways, face painting and games.</p>
<p>New Whiteland police will focus on crime prevention and safety with their festivities. Edinburgh police will be outside the town’s parks and recreation building showing off their equipment.</p>
<p>Officers will also concentrate on making connections with children and families in hopes of teaching youngsters that police officers are who they should turn to when they need help, Edinburgh Police Chief David Mann said.</p>
<p>“It is all about humanizing the police officer, especially to children, to let them know we are regular people like everyone else,” he said.</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="If you go" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p>Local police agencies are hosting picnics and community events for National Night Out on Tuesday. Here is a look at local events:</p>
<p><strong>Edinburgh:</strong> 5 to 8 p.m., parks and recreation office, 722 S. Eisenhower Drive.</p>
<p><strong>Franklin, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office:</strong> 6 to 9 p.m., Province Park, Franklin.</p>
<p><strong>Greenwood:</strong> 5 to 7 p.m., police department, 186 Surina Way.</p>
<p><strong>New Whiteland:</strong> 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., East Park.</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]
