All about connections
Oct. 14—When Mason Phillips walked into Charlie Daniels Park on Thursday dressed in a blue uniform, it was clear what he wanted to be when he grew up.
"A police officer, because all of the police officers know me," Phillips said.
As Phillips visited the park with his father, he said that he likes the way that law enforcement protects people and even carried around a megaphone to complete his police officer ensemble.
As people began to trickle into Charlie Daniels Park for Mt. Juliet's safety night on Thursday, law enforcement weren't the only ones showing off their vehicles.
Mt. Juliet Police Department Chief James Hambrick began his night by interacting with two children driving around the park in a toy police car.
"I want that little Mercedes," Hambrick said. "This is my first time seeing them. They said they always have it at home, and they said, 'Well, we'll bring it out.' It's awesome to see. Both of them have aspirations. When their mom asked them, 'What do you want to be when you grow up,' they said police officers. It's just an awesome feeling to be able to connect with them at this age."
In the past, the Mt. Juliet Police Department has done open houses at headquarters and hosted chili cookoffs to connect with its community. This year, the department held a safety night at Charlie Daniels Park and invited the community to come interact with officers from the department, the Mt. Juliet Fire Department, the Lebanon Police Department, Mt. Juliet Animal Control, state troopers and the Wilson County Sheriff's Office.
"We were able to secure the park here and just make it a safety day and where people in Mt. Juliet can come with kids and grandkids," Hambrick said.
When Mary Ellen Tiberio took Fia Nafziger and Neve Miller to the park on Thursday, they didn't know that the event was taking place just beyond the playground.
"The girls like to come and play, and they found out once they got here that this was happening, so they decided to look at it," Tiberio said. "I think they're most excited about the hot dogs."
Meanwhile, Renee Brewington watched as her daughters — Arlee and Brielle, who love animals — met animal control officers.
"It's (about) socializing and (the kids) practicing talking," Renee Brewington said. "It's (about) them knowing that there's people that are like the firefighters that work so hard for us. It's kind of like exposure for them."
During the event, Hambrick was excited to connect with community members and to connect with other law enforcement agencies.
"It's just another way to connect with our community members," Hambrick said. "Some people see things (we do) and do know what all it entails with budget and equipment. This way, the taxpayers get to see a little bit of where their dollars are going to."
