DELANO, Calif. (KERO) — The Delano Police Department held a block party event Thursday, inviting the community to meet with members of the agency with food, live music, and other family activities.
Delano Police Chief Tyson Davis says a few months back, the City of Delano annexed approximately 5 square miles of land, which is where the block party took place.
"Oftentime, residents don't get to meet our police officers, so we put together this event tonight. We included Robert F. Kennedy High School behind us. Their band is over here playing," said Davis. "We reached out to several vendors and organizations in the community. You can see some of the booths behind me."
Davis says this event was designed to ensure that the neighborhood feels comfortable with officers and to build a positive relationship.
"It's just a way to have the police department and our local organizations engage with the community, have conversations, and break down barriers so that when law enforcement needs help, we can talk with the community and the community will know their law enforcement officers, and they'll want to share information with them," said Davis.
Some of the local organizations featured at the event were Clinica Sierra Vista, Kern County Public Works, and Adventist Health, among others.
Jasmine Bautista from the Home Depot location in Delano hosted a booth for kids to take part in interactive activities.
"We are doing a kids' clinic. We are building little planters for the parents. They get to build them, paint them, and decorate them, and take them home," said Bautista. "This is giving us an excuse to come together. Especially with covid, we've been locked up in our homes, and I think doing this is like, 'Hey, let's get back out here. It's spring.'"
These thoughts are shared by Donna Hermann, Senior Development Manager for the American Cancer Society.
"Coming together for the block party, it's so important. Not only for Relay for Life, but all the other organizations sharing what we do as a whole and how our community comes together," said Hermann. "Delano is an awesome community, and every event in this town, everybody comes together."
Chief Davis says the department plans to hold more community events in the near future to continue its mission of bringing the community together.
