UNION TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Union Township police, firefighters and volunteers gathered at Veterans Memorial Park on Aug. 6 for the 19th annual Police Night Out, an event the police department said keeps drawing bigger crowds each year.
The free event ran from 6 to 9 p.m. at the park, 906 Clough Pike, giving residents the chance to meet officers and firefighters, tour their vehicles and equipment, and watch K-9 demonstrations. The department describes Police Night Out as a festival-style gathering meant to let residents interact with officers in a casual setting while showing that police, fire and the community are working together on public safety, according to the township.
In a Facebook post, the police department thanked its sponsors, its own officers and staff, volunteers, alumni of its Citizens Police Academy, the township fire and service departments, and local businesses and churches for helping put on the event. “While we are honored to host this event, its true success comes from the collaborative efforts of every department in Union Township and from the support of our local businesses and churches,” the department said in the post.
The Union Township Police Department traces its roots to 1965, when it was formed with two part-time officers under founding Chief Paul Herrmann after the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office had handled policing duties for the township. The agency has since grown into a 60-member, nationally accredited department that also runs its own communications center, providing 911 dispatch service for the township and the village of Amelia since 1984, according to the department.
Chief Anthony Rees, who has spent his entire 25-year law enforcement career with the department, took over as chief in March 2023 after rising through the ranks as a patrol officer, investigator, patrol sergeant and lieutenant of operations, according to the township. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in public administration, is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute and is a Certified Law Enforcement Executive. As a lieutenant, Rees helped start the department’s Citizens Police Academy, a free 12-week program that introduces residents to law enforcement work through sessions on firearms, defensive driving and other topics.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Union Township Police Department.