Mount Olive comes out for National Night Out
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on August 8, 2018 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Madison Miller, 5, tosses a ball towards the dunk tank as she tries to soak a member of the Mount Olive Police Department Tuesday night at Nelson Street Park during National Night Out.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Cousins David Stewart, 4, and Pierre Armwood, 8, play on the basketball courts at Nelson Street Park during National Night Out in Mount Olive Tuesday.
MOUNT OLIVE -- Edna Pride didn't bring all of her great-grandchildren to Tuesday night's National Night Out in Mount Olive but all things considered that's probably understandable.
She has 12 of them, after all.
Price, along with four out of the 12, were part of the crowd that came together at Nelson Street Park Tuesday evening to meet local law enforcement and enjoy time together as a community.
Founded by Matt Peskin in 1984, National Night Out is celebrated on the second Tuesday of August and is designed as an opportunity for communities and their law enforcement agencies to get to know one another and have some fun while they're at it.
The celebration this year included live music, plenty of free food and a dunk tank for law enforcement officers -- which was where Pride stood watching her great-grandchildren give the contest a try.
Price said she has been going to National Night Out events for years but nearly skipped it this year due to the heat.
"I try to make it every year but I don't make it every year and this year, I was free so I decided 'let's take some of them,'" she said with a smile. "It was so hot this year, I'd decided I wasn't going to go, but then they said 'granny you promised us we were going to that park' and I said 'aw man, come on let's go.'"
As Pride talked, her four great-grandchildren hurled bright yellow balls toward the dunk tank, trying their best to sink the officer sitting inside. Paris Armwood, 8, and Pierre Armwood, 6, stood beside Christopher Stewart, 6, and David Stewart, 4, as they inched closer and closer to the target after missing a few times.
Once they got within throwing range, it was all over -- the officer took a quick plunge into what looked like refreshingly-cold water.
On the other side of the park, officers with the Mount Olive Police Department and Duplin County Sheriff's Department cooked hot dogs and handed out chips and drinks.
Maj. Linda Tyson has been with the Mount Olive Police Department for about three years, and has attended National Night Out each of those years. She said the event has been a valuable opportunity both for the community and for law enforcement.
"If law enforcement don't know the people in their community, they won't have the opportunity to know who they're dealing with," she said.
"If you have someone who's out here and you know they're delayed or anything like that, nine times out of 10, if you go up to that person's house and they recognize you and you recognize them, then you're more subject to know how that person reacts."
It seemed like half of the people in attendance were either from law enforcement or part of Mount Olive's government. The Duplin County and Wayne County sheriff's offices set up booths and were joined by Kenansville probation officers, Mount Olive police, Crime Stoppers and several members of Mount Olive's board of commissioners.
Just before climbing into the Wayne County Sheriff's Office's mobile lockup jail, Mayor Joe Scott said that cooperation between the community and law enforcement is vital to making things run smoothly.
"When people and the police know each other, it makes my job much easier," he said. "They can solve problems, work out problems without having to bring them to me."
Sitting on a bench away from the crowd, Margie Swinson watched as kids chased each other around and played games. Swinson said she came to the event by herself because meeting law enforcement officers face-to-face made her feel safer.
"I love meeting the new police (officers), and I feel safe," she said. "There's so much stuff that's going on now, with drugs all in the community. But you don't see nobody out here doing that."