CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas —
Corpus Christi police officers and neighborhood residents came together for National Night Out, with CCPD kicking off the evening at the Corpus Christi Housing Authority before spreading community spirit across the city.
One of the locations? Casa De Manana Apartments, where kids and families gathered for an evening of games, food, face painting and law enforcement line dancing.
Residents at the apartments, including youngsters Cassidy and Mason Vela, got the chance to learn more about Corpus Christi Police Chief Mike Markle.
"That he's been working for 37 years and he's been a chief for 11 years," Cassidy and Mason Vela said.
The event was a hit with other kids, too.
"I like the cop cars!"
"I like the food!"
"I like being with my friends!" kids at the Casa De Manana Apartments said.
Those reactions were exactly what Markle and his officers were hoping to see.
"That's the strength of a city. How we communicate, get along, know each other. That's very important to us," Markle said.
CCPD told me those neighborhoods are important to preventing crime, and National Night Out helps remind residents that police need their help.
"Our neighbors are the ones who know what time we get home from work, what we drive, what our schedules are, so they're the first boots on the ground who will know if there is a person walking the streets that's out of place," Melissa Castro, Crime Prevention Specialist with CCPD, said.
Lieutenant Kody Harrison of CCPD's Crime Reduction Unit said the event is ultimately about the neighborhoods themselves.
"Showing the community that they're taking back their neighborhoods and taking ownership of their neighborhoods," Harrison said.
Back at the Casa De Manana Apartments, the evening may have been planting the seeds for the next generation of neighborhood watchdogs.
"I want more than anything for our children to have great, positive relationships and interactions with law enforcement. I think it's important. And I think events like National Night Out are the perfect opportunity for them to be human while policing," Therrion Mitchell, Resident Services Manager at Casa De Manana Apartments, said.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
