Plenty of smiles, laughs, and fun were to be had today at the Cookout with Cops at the Cinnaminson Police Station. Sunshine and blue sky were plentiful as the officers of the Cinnaminson Police Department hosted members of the community for an afternoon of food, games and other activities.
The second year of the event was an opportunity for the local law enforcement to connect with the community after a successful inaugural year in 2015. One member of the department helping to run the event this year was Director of Public Safety Mickey King.
“It’s something that we’ve always wanted to do, because we’re giving back to the community. They’ve always been supportive of us that we wanted to do something that was unique to Cinnaminson.”
The event was actually postponed earlier this year and was re-scheduled for September 25 due to inclement weather.
“We were determined we wanted to do it, because everybody comes out,” King said. “They get to know the police officers. We get to talk to them, and you see a very positive note.”
The parking lots of the police department and library were scattered with plenty to do for the young and the older crowds. There was a food tent, music, face-painting, games, and several inflatables for the kids to enjoy. Everything was run by the local police officers, so it was a great opportunity for all to meet and talk with the department protecting their hometown.
Michelle Corona, a resident of Cinnaminson, was out enjoying the beautiful Sunday with her family in support of her neighbor, who happens to be a member of the police department.
“Our neighbor is Officer Tim, so we wanted to come support him, you know, spend some time with the family and friends of the neighborhood.”
Another resident of the town, Terri Joyce, was at the cookout enjoying the festivities with her family, including her young son, Connor.
“It’s a beautiful day, and we want to support our local community and our local cops. Connor loves the bounce houses.”
Connor also especially loved the dunk tank. When Terri asked him what his favorite thing to do was, he pointed at the dunk tank and exclaimed, “That!”
The dunk tank was certainly a focal feature of the event where there were lots of laughs. People lined up for a couple chances to dunk some of the younger members of the Cinnaminson Police Department. King weighed in on its popularity, as he stated that it was even his favorite part of the day.
“Everybody gets such a kick out of the dunk tank. It’s a positive thing, because the young guys get up there. They make it fun for the kids, and you’ll see even my guys will go up and actually hit the wall to dunk them, so everybody gets an opportunity to win.”
This year’s Cookout with Cops was certainly a success in helping to connect the community with the Cinnaminson Police Department and it came not long after the popular Cinnaminson Night Out event on August 2. It was a great way to bring the local police officers and township residents together on a beautiful day for fun and conversation.
Up next for the police department will be their own display at Cinnaminson Day on October 9 at Wood Park, where they’ll host a free shredding event for residents.
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