Hundreds show up for National Night Out in downtown Crystal Lake

K-9 Zeus demonstrated his skills and Crystal Lake Police Sgt. Lloyd-Mietus allowed himself to be dunked into a water tank over and over again before hundreds of community members Thursday night in downtown Crystal Lake for the city’s National Night Out event.

The annual celebration is meant as a fun way for police and first responders to engage with the public and build community relations, Illinois State Police Sgt. Aldo Schumann said.

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Crystal Lake's National Night Out event on Thursday, August 4, 2022, included food trucks, live music, first responder vehicles, and a dunk tank. The event is a great way to foster positive public outreach, said Illinois State Police Sgt. Aldo Schumann. (Aaron Dorman)

“We’re here to mingle with folks, with kids,” Schumann said. “We want to show we protect and serve the the public, but it’s a good time for folks.”

In addition to food trucks and live music, police and fire had firetrucks on the scene that kids could explore with supervision.

The most common questions from kids that the police get at these events is “How fast do you drive?” and “Are you in SWAT?” Schumann said.

“They’re getting all that from the movies,” Schumann said, “but for a child, that’s a legitimate question, right?”