This is National Night Out. The event, held annually since 1984 on the first Tuesday in August, is a chance for communities to interact with law enforcement agencies and first responders. “It’s a way for the public to connect with their law enforcement on a positive level, said Elise Shaffer is with the Dane County Sheriff’s Department. In Dane County, law enforcement and other first responders will be at Kalschuer Park in the Town of Cross Plains on Tuesday evening. Numerous other communities around the state will also hold National Night Out events
In Wisconsin, the Night Out events have an added timeliness in the wake of the weekend tragedy in Oak Creek, where a police officer was seriously wounded responding to the mass shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin. “We don’t always appreciate law enforcement until, unfortunately, something tragic happens,” said Shaffer. “This is a way to not only show your appreciation, but just connect on a level you don’t always get to do on a regular basis.”
