PIERCE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Police officers and firefighters in Pierce Township will open up their cruisers and fire engines for a close look next month, part of the township’s annual National Night Out celebration.
The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5, at Pierce Township Park, 961 Locust Corner Road, according to the Pierce Township Police Department and Pierce Township Fire Department. Admission is free.
Organizers said the evening will include tours of police cruisers and fire apparatus, games and activities for children, food and refreshments, and tables staffed by community resource groups, giving families a chance to meet local officers and firefighters outside of an emergency call.
“A community event promoting partnerships, safety and neighborhood unity” is how the departments described the gathering in their announcement.
National Night Out began in 1984, when the National Association of Town Watch launched an effort encouraging neighbors to turn on their porch lights and step outside together to build closer ties with police. It has since grown into one of the largest crime-prevention observances in the country, with communities across the United States holding cookouts, block parties and open houses, typically on the first Tuesday in August.
Pierce Township’s police department traces its roots to the 1950s, when it operated with a single constable. It has since grown into a round-the-clock agency responsible for law enforcement across the township’s 23 square miles, including, since 2019, parts of the former village of Amelia south of state Route 125. The township’s fire department was established in 1956. Pierce Township itself was founded in 1853 and is home to more than 16,000 residents in the southwestern corner of Clermont County.
Beyond National Night Out, the police department runs a Citizens Police Academy, a Junior Police Academy, a Shop with an Officer program and a senior-visit initiative, part of what the department describes as a broader commitment to community-oriented policing.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Pierce Township Police Department and Pierce Township Fire Department.