Driving around town in a police car — not a bad way to spend part of my Tuesday evening. I’m talking front-seat action, not a back-seat-in-handcuffs ride for this guy.
Thanks to Redmond police officer Krista Bauer, I was able to tag along with her on National Night Out Against Crime as we visited a pair of block parties to meet with residents and get a taste of what is on their minds regarding crime, safety, traffic and keeping in touch with their neighbors to make sure everything runs smoothly on their streets.
At our first stop on 168th Avenue Northeast, a few kids greeted us with waves as we arrived. Bauer, a first-year patrol officer, smiled and caught their ears with a “Hey guys, how are you?”
Redmond City Council member Hank Margeson was on hand at this party and he flowed through the crowd and answered questions about city matters.
“For me, it’s connecting with my neighbors and the people that I represent. Getting their input and checking the temperature of how things are going in our community, sharing information,” he said, adding that someone at a previous party he attended that evening was concerned about a house break-in on their block. At last year’s Night Out, people discussed a tattered street near a park and cars speeding on their streets.
Brad Shuber’s a Night Out fan and had his wife and two kids on hand at our first party. (Overall, there were 57 parties, attended by 15-20 police officers, as well as firefighters.)
“You know, we don’t get to see our neighbors all the time with work and everything, so once a year you get to meet new people and see all the new families that have moved in,” he said. “It’s fantastic getting the police and the fire department to come out. The kids love that. You get to meet them — you don’t get to see them very often when they’re zooming down the street.”
Bauer, who laughed with the kids, but also had important discussions with parents, added about Night Out: “It’s great outreach, seeing the young kids and giving them the opportunity to crawl in and out of a police car and have an experience with a police officer that’s a positive one.”
During our two party visits, people asked her about home burglaries, car prowls and traffic issues that we’ve reported on in the newspaper. She advised people to keep their doors and windows locked and not to leave valuables in their cars.
Our second party of the night on 105th Court featured block watch captain David Kemp, who was preparing the coals on his barbecue when I tracked him down.
“We really enjoy it (Night Out). It’s nice for everybody to get together and communicate about what’s going on in the neighborhood and just to recognize faces and get to know each other a little bit,” he said. One of his victories as captain was getting a centrally located mailbox station placed on his block that features everyone’s mailboxes in one spot. People were previously reporting a lot of break-ins, so this is a secure place for their mail to be delivered.
As we headed back to the station, Bauer was upbeat about her first Night Out experience. She received kind words from one child, “I respect what you do,” and that alone has to keep her satisfied about her job.
“I’ve definitely found that I’ve picked the right career,” Bauer told me earlier in the evening. “It’s nice getting to help people. (I) have the opportunity to get out on the streets and meet people.”
It’s a challenging job, a physical profession — and that’s what she enjoys about it.
“It’s something new every day,” she said.
