On August 6, 2024, neighborhoods throughout Naperville again were welcomed to participate in the annual National Night Out on the first Tuesday evening in August.
Representatives from the Naperville Fire and Police Department were at various locations throughout the city, ready to meet all ages of residents and giving tips as to what to do to stay safe.
National Night Out again was just in time to remind residents that school also begins this month and that the speed limit in Naperville is 25 mph, unless otherwise posted.
My family lives near May Watts Elementary School. When I saw that West Wind, Countryside and Buttonwood were teaming up at that location for National Night Out, I decided to check it out. When I arrived, several fire trucks were there as well as a few police cars.
Lieutenant Brandon Matheny was one of the representatives from the NFD. He had some great safety tips for residents: For starters, make sure to have working fire detectors.
Also, be prepared in the event of a fire and have an escape plan for your entire family. Make sure everyone in your family knows a spot to meet if a fire does break out.
Randy Broadwell, also a member of the NFD, mentioned that identifiers should be on windows to indicate where children or people with disabilities are present. Upstairs bedrooms should be identified.
As I was walking away from the fire trucks, I saw Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres and Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli had arrived at the event. I went over and asked both of them for safety tips.
Police Chief Arres could not stress enough the need to lock cars. The number one reason in Naperville why car robberies occur is because people do not lock their cars. If you see any suspicious activity, please call 9-1-1.
Chief Arres also mentioned the Naperville curfew for minors. This was great information because I didn’t even know what it was. For children under 18 from Sunday through Thursday, the curfew is 11PM. On Friday and Sunday, the curfew in Naperville is 12AM.
I asked Mayor Wehrli what he liked best about National Night Out. He said that even though Naperville is a large city, this event still gives you a small-town feel. It reminds you why people are so happy to be part of Naperville, and supporting such a safe place to live.
After speaking with the mayor and police chief, I decided to check out the rest of the event. May Watts had a pizza food truck (Which served very good pizza, I might add.) as well as an ice cream truck stationed in the driveway.
For the kids, a foam bubble machine shot suds from a cannon and literally got the kids soaked in safe suds from head to toe. (Definitely something that I would have loved as a kid.)
All in all, National Night Out at May Watts Elementary School appeared to be a well-received event.
Unfortunately, we do live in a world where some people are afraid, don’t respect or don’t even know all the services provided by the police and fire departments. That’s why National Night Out is an important event. It’s a way for neighbors to meet each other and greet our local first responders. If we can teach kids or even adults to appreciate that the police and fire departments are here to help and prevent harm, then I think the mission of National Night Out has been accomplished.
One more thing… In my travels around Naperville, I note many yard signs and banner signs with messages about public safety. Be mindful of speed limits. Watch out for pedestrians and cyclists. Clean up after pets. Be a Naperville Crime Stopper. Stay safe.
Just be sure yard signs (including campaign signs) are properly placed in your yard and not in the parkway along the street. In other words, yard signs should be placed on the private property side of sidewalks.
School’s open. Drive carefully.
—Report and Photos by Ashley Penick
EDITOR’S NOTE / Soraya McLaughlin, Public Education Specialist at the Naperville Fire Department, invites the community to “Save the date!”… The annual Public Safety Open House will take place from 10AM to 1PM Sat., Sept. 28, 2024, at the Public Safety Campus located at 1380 Aurora Avenue. Parking for the family-friendly event will be available at Safety Town and at the church across River Road.
